‘Amazing’ rare stones uncovered in Orkneys
ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE discovered nine ‘very rare’ carved stones on Orkney – thought to be 4,000 years old.
The dig, at an electrical substation in Finstown, unearthed the “amazing” series of 20in stonecarved objects while completing excavations.
A team had to dig through 24in of waste deposits to uncover the ancient artefacts. The sculptures appear to have all been worked to give them shoulders, a neck and what looks like a head.
They were scattered around a hearth within the remains of structure containing three cists of coffins, two hearths and a partial ring of holes packed with broken off upstanding stones.
Three of the roughly carved figures were incorporated within the structure of one of the hearths and in the foundations of one of the standing stones.
It is believed they may have been used to tie mooring ropes, to help hold the roof on.
But the purpose of the building and how it was used by the inhabitants of this site 4,000 years ago is still a mystery. Professor Colin Richards from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute said: “This is a significant discovery in Orkney and probably within north-west Europe.
“It is very rare to find representations of people in prehistoric Orkney and when found, they are usually individual or in very small groups.”