Archaeologists in Orkney are planning to return to the Ness of Brodgar next summer after a new geophysical survey revealed an underground feature unlike anything previously seen at the famous Neolithic site.

Although the main excavation officially ended in 2024 after 20 years of work, a large ground-penetrating radar (GPR) study has changed those plans. Using cutting-edge technology never before tested in Scotland, researchers collected billions of data points and created detailed 3D images of the area beneath the ground.

Most of the results matched the well-known patterns of buildings at the Ness straight lines, rectangular layouts and carefully designed structures. But one feature was different. The anomaly had a shape unlike anything the team had ever recorded.

According to the Ness of Brodgar website, archaeologists say its form is “completely at odds” with the usual layout of the site.

Its unusual appearance has attracted major interest from the research team and from Time Team, which helped fund the survey and will take part in a small excavation planned for July 2026.

A small trench will be opened to examine the feature directly, and archaeologists hope it represents a single-phase structure that can be studied in just a few weeks.

Visitors will be allowed to view the work while it takes place, although previously excavated buildings will stay covered. Researchers say this targeted dig will help verify the radar findings and improve understanding of the site and may even reshape part of the Ness of Brodgar’s remarkable history.