Day15: 24 July 00
Following a well-earned day off, and the departure of most of the students, the site was quiet today. Work concentrated on planning and recording exposed walls and structures outside the chapel. The remains of a further structure, lying directly on the eroding coastline, has been revealed to the southwest of the chapel. Some of this structure has already been lost to the sea, but from what is left, it is clear that it lies on the same alignment as the building to the northeast of the chapel, and appears to be of similar construction. This requires further investigation, to establish its relationship with the orthostat to the north, and with the other pre-chapel features on the site.
The structure to the southwest of the chapel, with the orthostat in the foreground.
Work also continued in the south of the nave, where removal of the remainder of the floor layer is now in progress. Animal bone samples with the potential for providing radiocarbon dates were recovered from material under the nave floor.
Work continuing in the south of the nave.
The regular team was joined on site today by the Orkney Islands Archaeologist, Julie Gibson, and the Field Monument Warden, Nick Card. As well as visiting other sites on the island, they kindly volunteered for backfilling duties.
Guest diggers of the day: Julie Gibson and Nick Card.