Ness of Brodgar

A finger of land in the west of the Orkney Mainland, the Ness of Brodgar lies between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray, a half-mile (1 km) north northwest of Stenness. It is linked to this settlement by the Bridge of Brodgar. The Ring of Brodgar is located here, as is a large and important Neolithic complex first discovered by geophysical survey in 2002 and exposed in 2008, which may represent a Stone Age temple, unique in the world. Surrounded by a thick wall and extending over extending area of 2.5 ha (6.2 acres), the complex was in use for around 1000 years from c.3200 BC. The excavation has revealed ceremonial, ritual and domestic objects and the earliest example of a painted wall to be found in Britain. This complex, with its unusual buildings - some with multiple entrances and roofed with stone, has been interpreted as a transitional place between the worlds of the living and the dead. The archaeological investigation is a collaboration between Orkney College UHI and the University of Aberdeen, Cardiff University and the University of Glasgow.

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