Mystery Unearthed: Viking-Era Stone Head Discovered by Archaeology Student in Scottish Isles
The head is unlike anything previously found at the site, which has been undergoing archaeological excavations for the past 10 years. It’s believed the artifact is more than 900 years old.
The Accidental Discovery Of The Viking-Era Stone Head At Skaill Farm
UHI Archaeology InstituteUndergraduate student Katie Joss stumbled across the stone head during the excavation.
This unique sandstone head was found during the second week of the University of the Highlands and Islands’s excavation of the Skaill Farm dig site. According to the university, the team was working on uncovering the walls of a rectangular dwelling when the discovery was made.
Undergraduate student Katie Joss was working on a small section of the rectangular building’s wall when a small piece of red sandstone popped out and into her hands. That piece of stone turned out to depict an intricately carved human face.
“It was quite a shock, we were removing a slab when the head came rolling out at us and as we turned it around we saw a face looking back at us. It was really exciting,” Joss told the BBC.
BBC Radio Orkney/FacebookDating back 900 years, this carved stone head is unlike anything else found at the site.
There are no pupil carvings, creating a restful, closed-eye expression on the face, further accentuated by its relaxed smile.
“The carved head is of rich, red sandstone, with yellow inclusions, that was likely quarried from the island of Eday,” said Sarah Jane Gibbon, archaeologist and co-director of the dig, regarding the carving’s origins.
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