Uncovering the site from the sand - 2008 trench in centre - walls slowly emerging

Middens and deposits full of bone and other environmental information

Finds being bagged and soil samples being taken (in this case by Lynn and Pauline). These are taken offsite and processed. We have a flotation system set up at Birsay Hostel which floats soil samples, the flot from which are then dried and examined under a microscope. Diane Alldritt co-ordinates the sample processing and archaeobotany and Ingrid Mainland works on the animal bone and shell. Rebecca Nicholson studies the fish bones.

Western end of building shows up in a small trench of its own! Everything has to be drawn at 1.10 scale

Visitors keen to see the structures and finds

Layers of stone and sand tell the story of the site

Metalworking bowl hearths emerge from the sand, full of slag and charcoal for radiocarbon dating, and laminated between a series of clay floors. These features were initially exposed in 2008 and radiocarbon dates taken then suggest they date to circa 1000 AD, in common with other occupation levels in the longhouse.

The excavation makes steady progress in removing the sand overburden (site viewed from east end of longhouse)

From west end of longhouse with side benches (orthostats) visible

The eastern end wall is revealed, confirming the building is 26.3 metres long (86.2 ft)

Scientists from SUERC arrive to take TL dating samples from the stone walls

New smaller and rounder structures emerge in the building complex : these may be pre-Viking (dating to be confirmed by analysis and radiocarbon)

Animal hoof-prints still visible in ‘byre’ area in eastern end of the building, as the wind-blown sand comes off to reveal the latest phase of use

Burnt, coloured floor deposits emerge in the central area, rich in environmental data

The side benches show as yellow sand and the floors are black and pink from the hearths and peat-ash deposits. These have produced grains, charcoal and seeds telling us about life, diet and landscape surrounding the site. The hearths were cut down into the sand and there are several. We also found central post-holes which would have supported the roof, which was made out of timber framework supporting turf. It is a myth that timber was unobtainable in Orkney, as it could easily have been brought in from Norway or Caithness.

Internal features show up, such as stone-slab lined storage boxes in the floors and the door socket. The buildings are remarkably complete. The best-quality stone masonry faced the inside, as the outsides of the building were faced with turf

Two very busy open days saw 500+ people visit the site

22 August trip in a light aeroplane over Orkney, Bay of Skaill from North, the excavation site is in the left/mid foreground (spoil heap visible). There are five huge mound sites across the north side of the bay.

The full extent of the long-house and side buildings is visible from the air (east to top). The building’s western end is in the small trench to the bottom of the image

Another view of the site from the air, this time looking side-on from the north. The central passageway is visible, turning through the entrance towards the steps into the outbuilding and metal-working area

On the way back to Kirkwall Airport we snapped the Ring of Brodgar in afternoon sunshine with purple heather in full bloom

The final extent, taken from the west. Only the NE sector of the walls have been disturbed and rebuilt by later activity, the rest is complete and undamaged. We now think the longhouse was constructed in several phases, with the central, bow-sided living area with narrow side benches being the earliest (later extended at either end).