This amazing face (also visible here) should change our understanding of the new stone age in Britain. Again and again I have read of an apparent lack of neolithic representational art on this island. This is just wrong. The horned, pointed face above proves this. No nonsense please about this being pareidolic, this is clearly an artwork because:

(i) of the clarity and quality of its carving. From the prominent nose (possibly made using a natural prominence in the virgin sarsen), delicate almond eye to the strangely ethereal horns, this is a superb sculpture.

(ii) the same face can be clearly seen in profile on nearby Stone 10, click here to see this).

(iii) it is located (the right way up sceptics note!) slap bang in the interior of arguably the most important ceremonial location of ancient Avebury, this face was placed totally in the right place to "watch" the ritual shadow fall into the inner face of Cove Stone II during the critical summer solstice.

It should of course be far more widely known as I believe it is one of the very best neolithic artworks in the UK, but it is very difficult to find mainly due to the extremely shallow tangential light required to "activate" it.