Video: Dr David Clarke in conversation with Mark Edmonds
2023-07-19 20:30 - 22:30 (Europe/London) | King Street Halls, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF, United Kingdom
Now on our YouTube Chanel
Hosted by Mark Edmonds
Free but Tickets only – now available, scroll down and click the blue RSVP button to get your ticket which will be emailed to you
In Praise of Orkney’s Rich Archaeological Legacy, through the eyes of generations of the archaeologists involved.
The first in a series of informal conversations between archaeologists of previous generations and those still active in the field today, hosted by Orkney Archaeology Society, will be between Dr David Clarke and Prof Mark Edmonds.
The same interview format will continue at intervals over the next year or so, and hopefully include such names as Prof Sir Colin Renfrew (Quanterness), Dr Anna Ritchie (Buckquoy and Knap of Howar) Prof Chris Morris (Birsay and Deerness) Prof James Graham Campbell ( Viking silver hoards and Viking pagan graves). Each will be in conversation with well renowned and currently active archaeologists.
We stand on the shoulders of giants in Orkney’s rich archaeological heritage, what better way to recognise this as a fitting legacy project for OAS.
David Clarke is well known in the annals of Orcadian prehistoric archaeology for his work at both Skara Brae and Links of Noltland on Westray in the late 1970s. In this conversation he will recall some of the experiences , from the relatively recent re-discovery in Stromness Museum of the “Buddo” figure and its significance for the excavations in the 1860s at Skara Brae to the daily experiences during his time in Orkney.
David has authored several books, and amongst these the 2020 guidebook to Skara Brae is significant in this context. He joined the staff of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in 1968 and continued with the National Museums of Scotland until his retirement in 2011, as Keeper of Archaeology. His PhD had been undertaken at the University of Edinburgh (completed 1975) under the supervision of Stuart Piggott, another doyen of Scotland’s archaeology.
His role at the Museum included the delivery of major exhibitions including Symbols of Power at the time of Stonehenge (1985), and he was actively involved in the preparation of the Early People gallery for the new building at the NMS. His driving ethos throughout his Museum career has been to foster and develop Public Archaeology and the broader dissemination of information on the unparalleled collections of the National Museum.
If you would like to attend this talk (which will be recorded for later), then please click on the RSVP below. Places are free but limited so if you later find out that you can not attend please let us know by emailing enquiries@orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk

Viking Festival
2023-09-10 - 2023-09-17 | Various in Orkney, Orkney
This is a week long event and will include live and online events.
For more details please visit https://brodgar.co.uk/vikingweek/
If you have enjoyed the festival and wish to support this event then please donate to the Viking Festival and please click here
For a full report on the 2023 Festival visit https://orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk/report-of-the-2023-viking-week/

Brochtober 2023 Zoom Talk
2023-10-13 19:00 - 20:30 | On-Line
Orkney Archaeology Society are delighted to announce the programme for Brochtober 2023. Taking place over Friday 13th and Saturday 14th October, we have 4 fantastic talks – all of which are free to attend.

We kick off on Friday 13th October with a free on-line talk with Steve Jennings (……) Steve’s talk is ‘Ostentatious or Monumental? The evolution of the wheelhouse in Shetland. Tickets for this talk are available via this website.
If you click the RSVP you will recieve an email and then get a link.

As always our events are free to attend and we welcome everyone. There will also be a raffle and a stall to by OAS goodies at the Saturday event.

If you would like to donate to OAS to support this event, then you can donate here

Three Broctoberfest 2023 Talks
2023-10-14 10:00 - 12:30 | King Street Halls, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF, United Kingdom
Then, on Saturday 14th October we have 3 live in-person talks at the King Street Halls, Kirkwall. Doors open at 09.30am, with the talks starting at 10.00am
All the four talks are now available on our Youtube channel Playlist of Broctoberfest

10.00am Sara Marinoni; Forging Resources: an anthracological investigation of wood-fuel resources for Iron Age Metalworking in Northern Scotland
10.45am Rick Barton; Iron Age excavations at Swartigill
11.30am Martin Carruthers; The Cairns: What have we learnt so far.

If you enjoyed these and like to donate to OAS to support this event in the future, then you can donate here

Video: Re-discovering a lost Neolithic tomb at Blomuir, Holm
2023-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | King Street Halls, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF, United Kingdom
This talk is now viewable on YouTube here

OAS talk with Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark (curator of Prehistory (Neolithic) National Museums Scotland on the recently rediscovered Blomuir tomb, Orkney.

7th November, King Street Halls, Kirkwall, 7pm.

This talk will be recorded, but we hope a lot of folk will be able to come to hear from Hugo first hand.

All welcome – free entry – raffle – please donate.

AGM 2024 and Swandro Talk
2024-05-30 19:00 - 22:00 | On-Line
To make it more available to all members we are again holding our AGM via Zoom and it will be followed by a talk by Dr S.J. Dockrill and Dr J.M. Bond of the Swandro excavation titled “Roundhouse to Longhouse. The story of Swandro, a multi-period site destroyed by the sea”
Here is the video of the talk:

The link to the Zoom meeting is in the RSVP when you apply so we can keep an idea of numbers.
The talk is free to all but if you would like to support the team at Swandro then please use our specific donation page for the event
Files for download:
OAS AGM minutes 2023
OAS AGM Agenda 2024 ver 2
Membership Secretary Report 2024
Nominations to form the OAS Board for 2024
OAS AGM Summary accounts
OAS draft TAR and Accounts – amended
Resolution for the OAS AGM – May 2024
OAS-Constitution for consideration by the AGM 2024

Digs: 2024 Dates for the Ness of Brodgar
2024-06-26 09:30 - 2024-08-16 16:30 | Ness of Brodgar
The dates for next year’s excavation – the final season of fieldwork at the Ness – have been set.
2024’s nine-week excavation – the final season at the Ness of Brodgar – is open to the public on weekdays, from 9.30am-4.30pm, between Wednesday, June 26 and Friday, August 16.
The site will also be open on the two scheduled Sunday open days (see below).
It is closed to visitors from Monday, August 19, so work to infill the trenches can be carried out.

There is no entry to the excavation if the main gate is closed and there are no staff on site.
Please do not drop off passengers at the site entrance – the single-track road is busy and potentially dangerous.
In bad weather we may have to close the site at very short notice.

Free site tours

While the site is open to the public, our free excavation tours take place on weekdays at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.
Each tour lasts approximately one hour.
There is no need to book the free tours. Just turn up on site ahead of the start time.

Open days
There will be two open days in 2024 – Sunday, July 14, 2024, and Sunday, August 4, 2024.
These will feature continues tours, demonstrations, displays and activities on site and at the Stenness school.
Just turn up at either location any time between 11am and 4pm on the days.
While on site

Please remember that the Ness of Brodgar is a working archaeological dig in a field.
Be prepared for bumpy, sometimes wet and slippy ground.
Please keep to indicated routes and stay away from the edge of the digging areas.

Toilets

There are no public toilets available on site.
The nearest facilities are in Stenness village (outside the Maeshowe visitor centre), 1.2 miles (2km) from the dig.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome, but please keep them on their leads.

For full details , including site opening hours, Visit the Ness website click here.
Due to the complex nature of the archaeology, we won’t be taking volunteers in 2024, unless they have previous experience working at the Ness.

Talk: Dr George Prew from the Treasure Trove Unit
2024-07-10 19:00 - 21:00 | St Magnus Centre, Palace Rd, Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
The video of this talk is now on our Youtube channel.

This talk gives a brief overview of the Treasure Trove system in Scotland and how it functions. Outlining areas of specific significance and materials handled, the personnel involved and some of the big changes to the unit over the last year. The presentation will include of some of the particularly interesting cases of objects which have come through the process from Orkney in recent years.
Dr George Prew is a Treasure Trove Officer focusing on Orkney, Shetland, Moray, and The Lothians. His research interests centre on dress and death, with his PhD work focussing on Iron Age Italy. Within the Treasure Trove Unit, he has a particular interest in Late Medieval enamelled objects, steatite tools, small lead finds, and shot.

Ness of Brodgar Open day 2024
2024-07-14 11:00 - 16:00 | Ness of Brodgar and Stenness
Lots to do for all the Family.
Many special events and exhibits

Video: The Ages of Orkney
2024-08-22 19:00 - 21:30 | St Magnus Centre, Palace Rd, Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
A talk by the Orkney cartoonist, Alex Leonard ( of Giddy Limit ), about the design process of the new characters for Orkney Archaeology Society the project was guided by local archaeologists. We recorded this talk and it is on our YouTube Channel

Viking Week 2024
2024-09-07 - 2024-09-15
For full details please visit the main web site at https://brodgar.co.uk/vikingweek/

Video: Viking Graves by Professor James Graham-Campbell
2024-09-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Birsay Community Hall, Orkney
A rare opportunity to hear Professor James Graham-Campbell one of the foremost experts on Vikings, will be talking to us on Viking Graves. This is a talk which is part of the Viking Festival
Video of the talk

Video: Tomb of the Eagles recent survey
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:00 | On-Line
Graeme Cavers of AOC Archaeology, part of the team undertaking a feasibility study of community purchase of the Tomb of the Eagles, will present the findings of a recent archaeological condition survey of the tomb at an online meeting using Microsoft Teams, from 19:00-20:00 on Thursday 19 September. All welcome to join what will be a fascinating presentation.
Video of event

Talk: Storms, Pseudonyms and Spinning Wheels – glimpses into the life of Lady Burroughs
2024-10-29 19:00 - 21:00 | St Magnus Centre, Palace Rd, Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
by Dr Nela Scholma- Mason (Independent Researcher)
The life story of Eliza D’Oyly Traill Burroughs (best known as Lady Burroughs; 1849-1908) has largely been overshadowed by that of her husband, Lt-Gen Sir Frederick W Traill Burroughs (1831 – 1905). This talk will focus on her life, drawing on a range of archival material, including photographs and first-hand anecdotes.
OAS – Lady Burroughs – Poster (pdf)

Walk: Skaill Farm, Rousay recent discoveries changed times
2024-11-24 12:30 - 15:30 | Skaill Farm, Rousay, Orkney
Because of the weather:
Meet at Midhowe carpark at 12:30 am.
Lunch: Free lunch in community room from 12.
Talk: is now on Thursday Nov 28 at 7pm in the school community room.
Free event , no need to book , come along for all or part.
Contact studyarchaeology.uhi.ac.uk

Talk: Skaill: 1000 years of occupation at a Rousay farm.
2024-12-05 19:00 - 21:30 | St Magnus Centre Friends Room, orkney
by Professor Ingrid Mainland, Dan Lee, Jen Harland, Sarah Jane Gibbon, Julia Cussons (UHI Archaeology Institute)
Excavations at Skaill over the last decade have revealed a complex settlement mound. From the Norse hall, to medieval farm buildings and later additions, some of these structures were adapted and used well into the 19th Century until the farmstead was cleared. Skaill gives us a rare glimpse at what continuous occupation for nearly 1000 years looks like, with changing buildings, farming practices, importing of goods and deposition of middens. Putting this story in context, the talk updates on the excavations in 2024 which focused on the internal floors of a late medieval square building and an 18th century house.
Places are limited so please register a RSVP on this web site and if later you can’t make it then you can un register later.
We are hoping to film this talk and it will initially be available to members later.

Video: What does a Regional Archaeologist do?
2025-01-23 19:00 - 20:30 | On-Line
Paul Sharman, Orkney Islands Council
Paul talks about his role as the Orkney Islands Council’s Archaeologist. The remit is huge and ranges from helping pull together responses to the Sanday wreckage to finding where to bury 76 pilot whales; encouraging community archaeological and cultural heritage projects; giving input on the Orkney World Heritage Management Plan. Additionally he gives advice on the potential implications of changes in agricultural land use or a planning application on Orkney’s rich archaeological heritage.
The recording of the talk is here
If you enjoy our free talks then please consider a donation here

Video: A Saint in Stone – the material legacy of the St Magnus in the North Atlantic
2025-02-20 19:00 | St Magnus Centre, Palace Rd, Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
By Jenny Murray, UHI/Shetland Museum

The core of this current study is the objective to tell the story of St Magnus in a different and new way; to widen the narrative beyond the existing hagiographic studies, concentrating instead on the material legacy both in the landscape of his veneration, and related material culture. This talk will build on previous work undertaken by Sarah Jane Gibbon in Orkney, by expanding the record of material relating to the cult of St Magnus in Caithness, Shetland, the Faroes, Iceland and Norway. This is an opportunity to see St Magnus in a new light, and Jenny has some exciting news to share about St Magnus in Orkney!

This talk is free but please consider a donation.

Talk: Further discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave, Holm
2025-03-20 | On-Line
By Hugo Anderson Wymark National Museums Scotland
In 2023 a new Neolithic passage grave was discovered at Blomuir, Holm. Excavations in 2024 fully excavated the chamber and side cells, revealing further burials and details of the structure. This talk provides an update on the excavation.
This talk will be recorded and will appear on our Youtube channel, firstly for our members and then in a couple of weeks time for all.
This will be on Zoom Thursday 20th March at 7pm we are having problems with the web site caching badly and delivering corrupted pages. This should soon correct but in the meantime don’t worry about RSVP and here is the link for the talk.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84260186779

Talk: By Esther Renwick, Historic Environment Scotland
2025-04-30 19:00 - 21:00 | St Magnus Centre, Palace Rd, Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
Esther is District Visitor and Community Manager (Orkney and Shetland) Historic Environment Scotland.
“Simply Amazing”: Managing Orkney’s Properties in Care
Esther Renwick of HES will speak about her route to the exciting job of managing some of Scotland’s most celebrated archaeological sites across Orkney and Shetland. HES has forty-four properties in Care across the two archipelagos, including six staffed properties: Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Broch of Gurness, Hackness Martello Tower and Battery, and the Bishops and Earls Palaces in Orkney and Jarlshof in Shetland.
Places are limited so you will need to register when they are available ( Members are being informed first by email ) The RSVP registration form will appear on this page later.

AGM 2025
2025-05-22 19:00 - 21:00 | OnLine
This meeting is being held entirely on-line so members can join wherever they are based. This will be a business meeting only, and the documents that we will be referring to will be available here before the meeting for you to review. All are welcome, but in the event of a vote only members will be allowed to participate. To get the link for the meeting, please click the RSVP button below
Documents all pdf:

Nominations-to-form-the-OAS-Board-for-2025
OAS-AGM-Agenda-2025
OAS-AGM-minutes-2024
OAS OSCR TAR 2023 to 2024 – draft, agreed by OAS Board – for 2025 AGM
OAS 2025 AGM accounts
Membership Secretary Report
Report Membership Stats

Video: A discussion between Nick Card and Mark Edmonds
2025-05-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall, Orkney
There is a report and photos on this talk on the Ness of Brodgar site
The video of the talk is here
This is an OAS Legacy talk: A discussion between Nick Card and Mark Edmonds
The film of the recent Ness Exhibition that was financed by OAS will be premiered and is viewable here.

Talk: Loch of Ayre with 'show and tell' beforehand
2025-06-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Holm Hall
Broch and Beyond: Past and Present Investigations at the Loch of Ayre
By Martin Carruthers and Amanda Brend
This event will showcase the recent geophysical surveys undertaken at Loch of Ayre broch by ORCA, UHI Archaeology Institute for the St Mary’s community and the Loch of Ayre Walkway Association.
The geophysical surveys were successful in revealing the probable existence of an extramural settlement associated with the Loch of Ayre broch and in helping to determine its character and extent. The survey also added to our picture of the landscape around, beyond the Scheduled Area of the broch site, hinting at the possibility of other settlement features, some of which may be associated with the broch, and cultivation remains from the Medieval/post-Medieval periods.
Meanwhile, the archaeologists will also discuss the excavations of the broch that were undertaken in 1901, in which the interior of the broch and its outer and inner walls were exposed. A range of objects; artefacts and animal bones, were excavated and some of these were beautifully photographed and we can discuss these in terms of other, more recently, excavated assemblages from Orcadian Iron Age sites and pace the old finds in context.
A special feature of the event is a ‘show-and-tell’ from 4:30 . The archaeologists encourage anyone attending to bring along any potential archaeological objects they might have found, and they will seek to identify these.

Open day: The Cairns
2025-07-11 | The Cairns, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Your chance to visit the current dig going on at South Ronaldsay

Tour of St Magnus Cathedral ground floor.
2025-09-10 10:00 - 11:00 | St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, orkney, KW15 1DH
£10 per person, lasts 1 hour, no need to book
Meet at the West End, inside the Cathedral

Private Guided Tour of the new Viking Exhibition at the Orkney Museum.
2025-09-11 09:30 - 10:30 | The Orkney Museum, Kirkwall, Broad Street, KIrkwall, KW15 1DH
A very special opportunity to view this new exhibition when the Gallery is closed to the public. This special guided tour is being put on for the festival by Orkney Islands Council.
Booking required, max 16. £16.96 per person (booking fee included)
Book on EventBrite here

Tour of St Magnus Cathedral ground floor.
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00 | St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, orkney, KW15 1DH
£10 per person, lasts 1 hour, no need to book
Meet at West End, inside the Cathedral

Ranger walk at the Stones of Stenness and Barnhouse
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Stones of Stenness car park
Meet at the Stones of Stenness Car Park for this free talk with the HES Rangers.
Organised by Historic Environment Scotland
This is a free event, booking is not required

Upper Level Tour, St Magnus Cathedral.
2025-09-11 11:00 - 12:00 | St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, orkney, KW15 1DH
Upper Level tour lasts 1 hour 15 mins
£15 per person, all participants must be a minimum of 12 years old. Booking essential, call 01856 874894 to make your booking.
This is the standard Upper Level Tour and the usual conditions apply
These tours are in NO WAY fully accessible. Part of the tour is on the ground floor, which is fine. But in the Upper Levels there are very narrow stairs, tight passageways and uneven surfaces throughout. We would hate for anyone to be disappointed!
Meet at the Custodian’s office inside the Cathedral

Ranger Walk at the Ring of Brodgar
2025-09-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Car Park Ring of Brodgar
Meet at the Ring of Brodgar Car Park for this free walk and talk by the HES Rangers.
Organised by Historic Environment Scotland
This is a free event, booking is not required.
