Talking Stones
Posted Mon, Jul 7th 2008, 17:49A major archaeological investigation is getting under way this week at one of Western Europe's most impressive prehistoric sites. The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles, but little is known about it.
A month-long programme of investigations will be undertaken by a 15-strong team. The last important archaeological studies took place there in the 1970s. Historic Scotland said very little was actually known about the site, including its exact age and purpose.
A scheduled ancient monument, the stone circle and henge of the Ring of Brodgar is part of 'The Heart of Neolithic Orkney' World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1999. The project will involve the re-excavation and extension of trenches dug in 1973. Geophysical surveys will also be undertaken to investigate the location of standing stones.
Dr Jane Downes of the Archaeology Department, Orkney College, UHI, and Dr Colin Richards of the University of Manchester are the project directors. Dr Downes said: "Because so little is known about the Ring of Brodgar, a series of assumptions have taken the place of archaeological data.
"The interpretation of what is arguably the most spectacular stone circle in Scotland is therefore incomplete and unclear." Dr Richards added: "At present, even the number of stones in the original circle is uncertain. The position of at least 40 can be identified but there are spaces for 20 more."
