PXRF ANALYSIS OF FLOOR SURFACES IN STRUCTURE 10 AT THE NESS OF BRODGAR, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN THE ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands archipelago, comprises the highest density of Neolithic archaeological sites in the world. In 2003, excavations began at the Ness of Brodgar, a spectacular site within the World Heritage region that sits on a narrow spit of land separating Loch of Harray to the north and Loch of Stenness to the south. The spit also bridges the two standing stone circles of the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. The high density of multi-phased monumental architecture at the Ness has no parallels within the known Neolithic world. Structure 10 is the largest building revealed on site to date. Having massive walls greater than 5 meters thick at the base and measuring at least 15 meters long, the building appears too massive to be a domestic space. Yet, the architectural style is similar to excavated Oracadian Neolithic houses suggesting that, perhaps, this massive building is an indication of a stratified society. In an effort to help tease out the use of the space within Structure 10, a systematic gridded geochemical survey was conducted on floor deposits using a Bruker Tracer IIIsd portable XRF. The analysis assists with interpreting Structure 10’s function and the use of space at the Ness of Brodgar.