Archaeology is fascinating stuff. Far from just digging around in the dust and dirt, archaeologists uncover clues about civilization’s past and make groundbreaking discoveries that can sometimes turn what we know about history on its head.
One archaeology student working on the Scottish island of Rousay got a shock when an ancient, carved rock head rolled out, seemingly smiling at her. The archaeological community has since been stunned by the discovery, with one expert calling it the first of its kind.
An archaeology student excavating on the Scottish island of Rousay has discovered an ancient, carved head that’s turning… heads
The slightly smiling head is carved of rich, red sandstone, believed to be the same as the molded fragments from the nearby St. Mary’s old parish church
An undergraduate archaeology student was alarmed, then amazed, after an ancient, finely carved head rolled out at her during a recent excavation. The discovery, announced by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Archaeology Institute on July 24, was made at Skaill Farm on the Scottish island of Rousay.
The student, Katie Joss, was excavating along a trench wall when the carving “stared back” at her, says the university. Images from the dig show the head adorned with curly hair and an amused smirk, seemingly unbothered by its missing nose. UHI archaeology lecturer, Sarah Jane Gibbon, called the discovery “such an exciting find” in a statement.
The exact age and use of the head remain a mystery, but experts say its presence suggests that there was once a “building of some splendor” in the area
According to Gibbon, the carved head is of rich, red sandstone, with yellow inclusions, that was likely quarried from the island of Eday and is the same as the molded fragments from the nearby St. Mary’s old parish church. While the exact age and use of the head are a mystery, Gibbon said that its sheer presence suggests that there was once a “building of some splendor” nearby.
Archaeologist and researcher at UHI Orkney, Dan Lee, said the find was very unusual. “We don’t know of any other examples in Orkney,” he said. “It’s something you would expect to find at an ecclesiastical site, not a farm.” Lee believes the head came from St. Mary’s Kirk and is medieval in nature. If that can be proven, the artifact shows that the church was likely “very finely built and of high status.”
“You wouldn’t expect this kind of high-quality carving on a farm, and we haven’t found any red sandstone built into the main walls of the farm buildings,” said Lee. “It doesn’t appear to have been damaged, apart from the broken nose tip, but this may have occurred before it was deposited in a later rubble layer,” the archaeologist noted.
Dan Lee, an archaeologist and researcher at UHI Orkney, believes the head came from St. Mary’s Kirk and is medieval in nature
The head is also extremely well-preserved, indicating that it may have been sheltered indoors. “You wouldn’t expect this kind of high-quality carving on a farm, and we haven’t found any red sandstone built into the main walls of the farm buildings,” said Lee.
Lee added that the newly discovered head is one of several finely carved red sandstone artifacts at Skaill, such as a column capital. “But we haven’t had anything resembling the human form, so this is unique!” he stressed.
Scotland seems to be a hotbed of archaeological discoveries thanks to its rich, layered past and preservation by geography and climate. As recently reported in the Scottish Sun, archaeologists have discovered traces of Scotland’s earliest residents whilst digging on a new housing development in the village of Guardbridge, in the north-east of Fife.
In his article for The Herald, Peter Swindon writes that there are more than 100,000 sites of archaeological interest in Scotland, including the feted Skara Brae on Orkney. Just some of the artifacts that have been uncovered include items belonging to ancient bishops, key figures in the wars of Scottish independence and the Glorious Revolution. Which makes you wonder what will be unearthed next.
Lee added that the head is one of many finely carved red sandstone artifacts at Skaill, such as a column capital, but it’s still a first of its kind
