Glimpses of Iron Age beliefs? The Ballachulish wooden figure and other puzzles
Resource type
Lecture
Creator (person)
Hunter, Fraser
Date published
July 22, 2024
Abstract
In 1880, a remarkable wooden figure was pulled from the peat at Ballachulish, just north of Glencoe, overlooking Loch Leven. This stylised, almost life-size depiction of a woman has inspired speculation and debate ever since. Did she represent a goddess? A mortal? An ancestor? Why was she made, and why was she buried? To try to answer these questions, Dr Fraser Hunter (Principal Curator of Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland) will review the figure herself, the wider picture of prehistoric wooden figures across Europe, and the traces that people in the Iron Age left behind of their beliefs.
Event title
Kilmartin Museum
Publisher
Kilmartin Museum
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright
Additional information
Full access of lecture via the official URL