The weather in Orkney is always more than a topic of conversation as it changes from hour to hour. Today would best be described as clement but breezy. This view contrasts strangely with Mick Aston's- he is wearing at least two stripey jumpers, layered in the sort of way that would have Designers jumping from the windows of Thamesside conversions. And still he was complaining! However his discomforts were forgotten in the excitement of his first view of the underground structure and the emerging picture of the ditches, paving and settlement areas. He and the Time Team Film crew crew are off the site today, travelling around some of Orkney's better known monuments in the capable hands of Anna Ritchie. They will be attempting to set the site in a much wider context. And no doubt some of the discussion will revolve around the question of "wells" in brochs...were they all primarily for the getting of water for domestic purposes, or were many rather more interesting features which would be used ritually? Certainly all the indications are pointing that way.
The landscape in the immediate area of the Mine Howe site is very interesting. Nick, Jane and Julie took a surface look at the broch which lies at the South-West end of Long Howe yesterday. The modern road is driven right through the middle of the site, which was examined in the 19th century. However enough remains of the outer banks and ditches to make it clear that the outer entrance runs up onto Long Howe. Much soggy ground surrounds the broch, and although modern drainage and earlier re-ordering of the water courses has dried it up somewhat, it would appear that the broch was surrounded on three sides at least by a bog or a shallow loch. The entrance to it being over the dry land of the Long Howe.

The amazing 1946 Aerial photo showing features not apparent in the year 2000. The arrow points to MineHowe itself.
If an underground structure was a necessary part of the ritual life of broch dwellers,possible that the waterlogged nature of the area precluded building underground, then perhaps another place was sought. Though why Mine Howe rather than a.n.other mound in the area is still an unanswered question.
Stewart Ainsworth, another familiar face from the Time Team, arrived last night and is meanwhile concentrating his efforts on looking at the landscape surrounding Mine Howe. His task of relating information from maps and aerial photos to the land around and about is going to produce some interesting discussions. He says that he has discovered a series of what appears to be small rectangular buildings or enclosures around the chapel dedicated to St Ninian which lies just about 300m away from Mine Howe on top of another hillock, and overlooks the mound of Mine Howe.

The chapel is situated on the horizon beyond the grave yard.
And just a foot-note: Julie completely denies walling-up Jane within the lower chamber (as scurrilously claimed in an earlier diary page) but adds that it was absolutely necessary in light of Jane's reluctance to stay indoors while the sun was shining!
We are now half way through the excavation and although most members of the team have appeared by name on these pages we thought it was about time you met them individually. So click here for the 'Dream Team'.