Neolithic figurine discovered on Orkney

Wednesday 21st July 2010

A Neolithic figurine has been discovered on Westray, in the Orkney Islands, almost a year since the celebrated Orkney Venus was discovered on the same islands.

The Orkney Venus figurine is the earliest carving of a human figure found in Scotland.

The Wife of Westray, as it became known, measures just 3.5cm by 3cm and is the only known Neolithic carving of a human form to have been discovered in Scotland Historic Scotland said a second, headless figurine has been discovered by archaeologists at the Links of Noltland dig on Westray.

The new figure is the same size and shape as the original sandstone Venus figurine but is made of clay and is missing its head.