Carved Snake Heads Uncovered in Ukraine

KIEV, UKRAINE—Nadiia Kotova of the Institute of Archaeology at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and her team unearthed two carved rocks resembling snake heads at Kamyana Mohyla I, an archaeological site near the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine, according to a Live Science report. Both of the carvings date to the Mesolithic period, although one is older than the other. Carved sometime between 8300 and 7500 B.C. from yellow sandstone, the first of the two snake heads weighs almost three pounds, and is triangular in shape with a flat bottom. Two eyes were carved on the stone’s upper surface near two knobs, and a long line for a mouth was carved near the flat edge. It was found near a fireplace, along with shells and flint tools. The smaller stone snake head, also found near a fireplace, weighs about one pound and was dated to around 7400 B.C. Kotova said this carving features a flattened, round shape and has a neck, eyes, and nose. “They were probably used during ceremonies,” Kotova explained. To read about the study of intricately carved stone balls that have been discovered throughout the British Isles, go to “Spheres of Influence.”