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Talk: CHANGE OF VENUE :Carved in Stone: Art and architecture at the Ness of Brodgar by Dr Antonia Thomas
June 18 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
- Antonia Thomas will talk about her work recording the decorated stones from the Ness of Brodgar, both during the excavations and as post-excavation specialist: from the first decorated stone that was found during the excavations in 2006, to the carved slab that turned up in the last hours of digging in 2024. She will discuss the different types of decorated and dressed stone found on the site, from small fragments and hidden stones, to dramatic statement pieces, and from delicately incised slabs to chiselled and pick-dressed pillars, and the challenges and potential of recording this incredible and unique assemblage, which now numbers over 1000 stones.
- Brief bio: Antonia Thomas is Associate Professor of Art and Archaeology at UHI, based within the Archaeology Institute at UHI Orkney. Her PhD (University of Aberdeen, 2016), ‘Art and Architecture in Neolithic Orkney: Process, Temporality, and Context’, involved a detailed study of the decorated stonework from Maeshowe, Skara Brae, and particularly the Ness of Brodgar where she has been part of the excavation and post-excavation team since 2006. Antonia was a member of the advisory panel of Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP), and has been commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland to undertake specialist architectural survey work at tombs in Orkney, including the Holm of Papa Westray South, where she identified previously unknown carvings, and rediscovered some which had been thought to have been long destroyed. Her interest in art and archaeology ranges from the Neolithic to the present day, and in 2020 she launched a unique interdisciplinary master’s programme in Contemporary Art and Archaeology at UHI, which continues to attract students from across the UK, Europe, and North America.