Orkney Farmer

Lots of the archaeological sites in Orkney are not merely newly excavated, once funding came through for one of hundreds of possible sites. They are new discovered.  I wondered why the Ness of Brodgar was unfamiliar to me, when I had known about the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, which stand on either side of it, for so long. It was only discovered in 2003, when a farmer was plowing and a big smooth stone with grooves and notches in it was unearthed.  Geophysics revealed it might be a very big deal, and excavations were started the next year, finished in 2024.  Smaller excavations are going on now.

It is probably more important than the more famous standing stones that we've known about for centuries. Afarmer digging flagstones found the Tomb of the Eagles in 1958 and did some desultory and unprofessional excavation, but filled it back in.  More extensive excavation started in 1976 - after I had finished all my anthro courses. The little brochures keep telling you that such-and-such was only discovered in 1994, or first excavated in 2006.

The joke is ORKNEY FARMER PLOWS FIELD, FINDS NOTHING. ARCHAEOLOGISTS BAFFLED.