900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

A 900-year-old carved sandstone head has been unearthed at a farm in Rousay, Orkney, during excavations led by UHI Archaeology Institute.

The finely crafted head features a serene smile, curly hair and expressive brows, suggesting it once decorated a grand building, probably a church rather than anything on the farm.

Made from red sandstone, probably quarried on Eday, it closely resembles stonework at St Magnus Cathedral. Experts believe this artefact hints at a site of some splendour nearby. It has been called a fascinating enigma.