Archaeologist says ‘absolutely stunning’ work could represent Edward II
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.”
