Ness of Brodgar in the spotlight at Stromness Museum
An exhibition focusing on the ongoing excavations on the Ness of Brodgar opens today in the Stromness Museum.
Ness of Brodgar – Art and Artefacts will feature the latest information from site director Nick Card, Neolithic art expert and Stromness Museum volunteer Antonia Thomas and an over-view of Orkney in the Neolithic by Professor Colin Richards.
A wide range of the finest artefacts found at the site will be on show, as well as numerous colour photographs showing the site during excavation. Beautifully polished stone maceheads, axes and carved stone balls are on show, along with pottery, flint and stone tools.
An entire room has been set aside to accommodate a selection of the huge amount of Neolithic rock art that has been discovered on the site.
The decision to expand the exhibition into another part of the museum has not been taken lightly, as honorary curator Janette Park explained.
“Faced with the sheer number of fabulous artefacts from the Ness of Brodgar, we felt that we had to expand the exhibition beyond the three cases by the entrance.
“We have cleared out the ‘Sea Captain’s Parlour’ gallery in order to display more of the Ness of Brodgar finds, especially the artwork.
“Many of the items from this gallery have been kept on display in other areas of the museum and they will be restored to their former home after the summer exhibition is over.
“This has greatly increased the amount of space available for this exhibition which we hope will prove popular with our visitors.”
Ness of Brodgar excavation director Nick Card, from the UHI Archaeology Institute, said he was delighted the museum is hosting the exhibition.
“It will give the public the opportunity of seeing these artefacts and learning more about the site outside of the digging season, as well as showing the finds to visitors to the site when it is under excavation this July and August.”
Ness of Brodgar – Art and Artefacts opens at the Stromness Museum on Saturday, April 4, and runs all summer.