Decorated Stone Ball from Skara Brae

3D Model

This carved stone ball was discovered at Skara Brae, Orkney during W. Balfour Stewart excavations in 1914 and it was presented by him to the National Museum of Antiqutities of Scotland shortly after its discovery. The ball was found in Hut 2 ‘above a hearth concealed in a wall’ (Balfour Stewart 1914, 346). The lightly incised decoration is reminiscent of designs on Grooved Ware pottery.

This artefact is manufactured from camptonite, an igneous dyke rock available across west Mainland.

L:61.1mm , B:58.8mm, T:59.2mm. W: 333.9g.

NMS X.HA 169. © National Museums Scotland