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The mystery of royal stone head at Shaftesbury Abbey


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When a battered stone head was unearthed from its resting place in the ruins of Shaftesbury Abbey, archaeologists were puzzled. For a start, the sex of the subject was unclear. The flowing locks suggested a woman, the jawline a man.

At first Julian Richards, who led the dig in Dorset, thought the head, caked in soil, was topped by some sort of cap. “I thought: ‘This is strange,’” he said. “Who could this be, wearing that sort of headgear? Then someone pointed out it wasn’t a cap, but a crown. There are raised bits around the headband representing jewels.”

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Painstaking detective work has led to the conclusion that the head dates back to the 1340s and might – we may never know – be that of Edward II.

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Richards said it was an exciting find. “It is definitely a royal figure. It might be Edward II, but we’re not sure. It could be a stylised image of a Saxon king, possibly even Alfred. The quality of the carving is absolutely stunning. You can even see the eyelids.”

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/oct/01/mystery-stone-head-shaftesbury-abbey-julian-richards-king-edward

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