Westray Wife facts for kids
The Westray Wife, also known as the Orkney Venus, is a small stone figure. It is about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) tall and was carved from sandstone. This amazing discovery happened in the summer of 2009. Archaeologists from Historic Scotland found it at a place called the Links of Noltland on the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland.
This little figure was very special! It was the first time anyone had found a stone carving of a human from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) period in Scotland. It also shows the oldest face ever found in the United Kingdom.
In 2010, archaeologists found another figure at the same site. This one was made of clay and was about 3.4 centimeters (1.3 inches) tall, but it was missing its head. It had a rectangular pattern with triangles on its front, which might show a tunic or clothing. There was also a small hole in its stomach. Some small clay balls were found nearby, and people think these might have been meant to be heads for other similar figures. A third figure was found in 2012.
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What Does the Westray Wife Look Like?
The Westray Wife has special eyes that look like "eyebrow motifs." These are similar to carvings found in an ancient burial place called a chambered cairn on the Holm of Papa. An archaeologist named Richard Strachan thought that these markings might show human eyebrows and eyes, just like on the figure. Or, it could be that the carver just used a design they knew well in different ways.
Even though it's called the Westray Wife, we aren't completely sure if the figure is meant to be a female. The marks on it could actually be fasteners for clothing or patterns on fabric.
Where Can You See the Westray Wife?
The Westray Wife was shown at the Westray Heritage Centre in Pierowall during the summer of 2010. It became very popular! A local baker even made "Westray Wifie" shortbread cookies to sell. In 2010, some local businesses said their sales went up by 45% because of how famous the little figure became.
See also
- List of Stone Age art
- Venus figurines
Images for kids
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The second figurine found at the Links of Noltland site.
