(A) Exquisite Sculpture - Expressive Detail Made With Almost Medical Accuracy

If you locate this face in daytime look behind the mouth and nose profiles where you can clearly see the economical, overlaid chisel marks left by the neolithic sculptor when he carved her - absolute proof she is not a simulacrum but a work of art. This carving represents a masterpiece of emotion and technique. I have not seen her referred to in any of the texts, and due to her great reliance on being lit from exactly the right direction she is comparatively difficult to find. I suspect therefore that this is an original discovery of mine, I spotted her almost by accident, lit yellow by the westering sun. In my opinion she is possibly the finest face at Avebury, and if it is possible for a sarsen sculpture to be ethereal then this is it.

Compare this face on 35a with the gigantic and skillfully carved sculpture of a woman on Stone 103, south-east quadrant of the main henge (click here). In particular compare the delicately observed mouths on both carvings which appear to display the same sculptural technique.

(B) Two Singers Facing The Dawn
 

Stone 35a hosts two stunning open mouthed faces carved next to each other  - possibly representing singers, who face east.    They may well be singing to the rising sun or moon.    Both faces are shown below for comparison  [For a larger version of the left hand singing face please click here].   The face below left is the southern most, and you cannot see its northern companion (below right) at the same time, you must walk round the stone and see them one at a time.    Nethertheless, their pairing is obvious:

For an example of another Avebury face singing to the east, this time from within the main henge, please click here