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BBC News
6 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Orkney carved stone head could be more than 900 years old
An intricately-carved sandstone head which could be more than 900 years old has been found on the Orkney island of head was discovered by University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) archaeology student Katie Joss at the Skaill Farm was exploring the foundations of a large wall when the head popped out into her hands."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," she said. Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon from the UHI Archaeology Institute is co-director of the dig at Skaill Farm, which is now in its 10th year. She said she was surprised at the intricacy of the carved face and hair, which looks serene despite its nose being broken off."It looks very similar to a carved head in the south aisle of St Magnus cathedral," she added that the style of it suggested it might have had a similar function in a 12th Century building."It's really unusual, we've found nothing like this here at Skaill before," she said."We don't know how the head ended up in the backfill of this building, though the fact the nose is broken could be a clue." The head - which has not been given a name yet - is being preserved with the other finds from the will be cleaned up and put on public display at some point in the name of Skaill farm comes from from the Old Norse word "skáli", meaning "hall".The Skaill excavation site sits directly on top of what was once the Norse settlement of powerful 12th Century Viking chieftain, Sigurd of Westness. Dan Lee, an archaeologist with the UHI Archaeology Institute, said: "Sigurd was pals with Earl Rognvald, who built St Magnus cathedral in Kirkwall."We think we are standing on the hall that Sigurd built and lived in, which then became a late-medieval farmstead."Right next door we have the remains of St Mary's chapel and a medieval tower called The Wirk."We think this was a real seat of power in that period."
Scotsman
7 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
Mysterious stone head found on tiny Scottish island of Rousay
The carved head found at Skaill Farm, Westness, Isle of Rousay, Orkney. PIC: UHI Archaeology Institute. | UHI Archaeology Institute The head was found during an archaeological dig at Skaill Farm Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A carved stone head found on a tiny Scottish island has been described as a 'fascinating enigma'. The head was found during an archaeological dig at Skaill Farm at Westness on Rousay in the Orkney Isles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With its 'beautifully carved locks of hair' and 'real character', the artefact is the latest find at the site. It was discovered during the university's annual summer excavation of the land at Skaill Farm. Skaill Farm has long been of interest to archaeologists given its long timeline, with the site a hive of activity during the Norse Period, when it was home to Viking chieftain Sigurd of Westness. The landscape features The Wirk tower and the remains of St Mary's Church, both which have been linked to the Norse era and which were later added to during the medieval period. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon, of the UHI Archaeology Institute said the discovery of the stone head indicated that a 'building of splendour' once stood nearby. The head is similar to stonework found at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, which dates to the early 12th Century. READ MORE: The ancient Orkney site where Picts and Vikings settled now under threat Dr Gibbon, one of the excavation co-directors, added : 'This is such an exciting find. 'Over the years excavating at Skaill and The Wirk – the nearby hall tower – we have found several interesting, moulded pieces of red sandstone but nothing like this. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The rich, red sandstone, with yellow inclusions, was likely quarried from the island of Eday and is the same as the moulded fragments from the nearby St Mary's old parish church.' 'For now, the Skaill head must remain a fascinating enigma in terms of date, origin and use, but its discovery, along with many other fine pieces of carved red sandstone, as well as those built into the nearby kirk, strongly suggests a building of some splendour once stood in the vicinity.' Rousay has often been dubbed the Athens of the North given its rich archaeological deposits, including at least 15 Neolithic chambered cairns, the earliest which dates to around 3,500 BC. In 2019, archaeologists made a breakthrough at Skaill Farm after the remains of a Norse great hall, likely used for drinking and gatherings from the 10th to 12th Century, stood on the land. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The place name of Skaill derives from the Norse for hall and long suggested the area was home to a high-status site. Following its discovery, the hall was linked to Sigurd of Westness, whose chieftainship of the area was documented in the Orkneyinga Saga. Archaeologists found stone benches running down each side of the hall, which is around 13-metres long and runs down a slope towards the coastline. The 13th century historical record documents that Sigurd of Westness was a friend of the 12th Century Earl of Orkney, Paul. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 1136, Paul was staying with Sigurd at Westness when the notorious viking Sveinn Ásleifarson kidnapped the earl and spirited him away, leaving the Earldom open for Rognvald II to step in and take control. Other finds from Skaill Farm include soapstone from Shetland, pottery and a fragment of a Norse bone comb.
