How the Ness of Brodgar Logo Came to Life (Patreon)

One of the details you may have spotted during our Ness of Brodgar coverage is the special Time Team x Ness of Brodgar logo.

Designed by our very own Neil Emmanuel, it takes its inspiration from one of the site's most intriguing discoveries: the so-called 'Brodgar Butterfly'.

These beautifully carved motifs, etched into Neolithic stone over 5,000 years ago, have become one of the Ness's most recognisable symbols. But turning that ancient carving into a modern logo wasn't quite as straightforward as tracing the design.

Neil's challenge was to create something that immediately felt like Time Team, while also giving this special excavation its own identity. To do that, he kept many of the elements that make the original Time Team logo so distinctive – the colours, circular roundel and typography – before replacing the central emblem with the Brodgar Butterfly.

The team also explored other ideas, including using the iconic outline of Building 10, but after around 30 different iterations, they found themselves returning to one of Neil's earliest concepts. Sometimes the simplest idea really is the strongest.

As Neil explains:

"The butterfly is probably the most iconic image. It has immediate visual impact, which is really important in a logo... and it still feels like it's part of the Time Team family."

Swipe through to see the original carving alongside Neil's finished design, and let us know what you think. It's a wonderful example of how a 5,000-year-old piece of Neolithic art can inspire a brand-new chapter in the Time Team story.Photo credit: ORCA