Dr Sarah Hayes explains that a variety of toys were uncovered at Viewbank. The dolls taught the Martin girls the skills of motherhood while simultaneously providing an avenue for play.

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SARAH HAYES: A number of objects are related to the children, and what they were doing with their leisure time. There were some dominoes that were found. A number of dolls were also found at Viewbank. These are mostly ceramic dolls. And it's their limbs, which is always a bit creepy in the archaeological record, when you come across these little tiny ceramic body parts.

These doll limbs actually came from cloth bodies. So obviously, the cloth bodies have degraded in the soil where they've been buried for many years. So we don't have the bodies anymore, but we can find the little limbs that are left behind.

They represent children's play. But also, they were part of teaching girls how to mother. Many of the toys of childhood were associated with learning the required skills of adult life, particularly for girls.