Neolithic treasures on show at British Museum

Some of Orkney’s most impressive Neolithic artefacts are now on show at the British Museum in London, as part of its The World of Stonehenge exhibition.

Spanning Britain and Europe from 4000 to 1000 BC, the exhibition aims to tell the story of “a period of immense transformation, and radical ideas that changed society forever.”

In such a story, Orkney plays an important part.

The World of Stonehenge features material from Skara Brae, and gold disks and amber beads from the Knowes of Trotty, as well as decorated stones, polished stone axes, mace heads, stone spatulas, and pottery from the Ness of Brodgar.

While the Ness of Brodgar’s site director, Nick Card, expected that the museum might want half-a-dozen pieces, it ended up taking 30. However, he was keen to emphasise that the move is not permanent.

The items arrived on January 5, and the exhibition opened on February 17, to reviews that are universally positive.

Read more in The Orcadian.