It lay undisturbed for centuries and the secrets from inside have only recently come to light.

Now a new exhibition of Stone Age objects unearthed in an archaeological dig has opened in Orkney.

The Ness and Its People is an exhibition of finds uncovered at the nearby Ness of Brodgar excavation.

It opened at Maeshowe Visitor Centre yesterday and will run until August 12.

The Ness of Brodgar archaeological site has been under excavation since 2004 and is revealing a massive complex of monumental Neolithic structures dating from around 3000 BC.

This makes it one of the most important archaeological excavations in the world today, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the public body which protects Scotland’s historic environment.

Archaeologists and specialists involved in excavating the site are gaining insight into the culture and beliefs of Neolithic Orkney through their work, which is in turn shining a new light on the prehistory of northern Europe.

Through the objects found from the excavation, the exhibition offers visitors the chance to get up close to the Ness of Brodgar, its people, their belongings, and their lives, for the first time.

READ MORE: The enduring secrets and mystery of Skara Brae in Orkney

Visitors can ponder the choices made, skills used, and creativity displayed by the people at the Ness by viewing the mace heads, carved stones, pottery fragments, and tools from the site.

Phil Hopkins, monument manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “The exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to see artefacts from the Ness of Brodgar which is within touching distance of Maeshowe Visitor Centre.

“This is a very rare opportunity for visitors to see objects so close to where they have been found – there’s never usually a building located next to an active dig to create an exhibition like this.

“We’re encouraging new and returning visitors to come along and combine a visit to the Ness with the exhibition to see for themselves the mysterious objects being discovered by archaeologists and specialists involved in excavating the site.”

Anne Mitchell, Ness of Brodgar project development officer from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) department of archaeology said: “We’re delighted to have this exhibition running over our 2022 dig season.

“This is the first year that we’ve been able to display finds to visitors to The Ness, which has been made possible due to a grant received from the Orkney Islands Council Culture Fund.

“The local support in bringing this exhibition to life has been incredible with Historic Environment Scotland generously hosting the exhibition at Maeshowe Visitor Centre, both Stromness and Orkney museums have designed the exhibition and Orkney Crystal has provided the display cases.”

READ MORE: Neolithic communities in Orkney faced tensions and rivalries with other villages, scientists show

Entry to The Ness and Its People exhibition is free.

It is open until Friday, August 12, opening hours 9.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm at Maeshowe Visitor Centre.

However, due to limited capacity, visitors are advised to reserve a place online to guarantee entry to Maeshowe Chambered Cairn.

Maeshowe is a monumental chambered tomb and is the finest Neolithic building to survive in north-west Europe.

It was built around 5,000 years ago and is a masterpiece of Neolithic design and construction.

Part of the reason for this is because of its use of massive stones.

The exhibition is part of Scotland’s Year of Stories which is led by VisitScotland.

The Year of Stories will be showcased throughout 2022 and will spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland.

Scotland’s Year of Stories encourages local people and visitors to experience a diversity of voices, take part in events and explore the places, people and cultures connected to all forms of our stories, past and present.

The exhibition is the latest of Visit Scotland’s Themed Years, which celebrate different elements of Scottish life. Past themes have been the Year of Coasts and Waters and the Year of Young People.

The Ness and its People is just the latest exhibition which has been launched as part of the Year of Stories.

Last week, charities on both sides of the Forth joined forces to create an exhibition celebrating the area’s natural history.

The Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther and the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick launched Positive Currents: Forgotten Stories and Future Voices of the Firth of Forth.

It will run in Anstruther until early September and transfer to North Berwick and run until mid-November.