Rudston Monolith
Standing stone (megalith) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Material | Moor Grit Conglomerate |
| Periods | late Neolithic/ early Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | some damage |
The Rudston Monolith at over 25 feet (7.6 m) is the tallest
Description
The stone is slender, with two large flat faces. It is approximately 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) wide and just under 3 feet 3 inches (1 m) thick.
There is one other smaller stone, of the same type, in the churchyard, which was once situated near the large stone. The Norman church was almost certainly intentionally built on a site already considered sacred, a practice common through the country – indeed the name of Rudston comes from the Old English "Rood-stane", meaning "cross-stone", implying that a stone already venerated was adapted for Christian purposes.
The many other prehistoric monuments in the area include four cursuses, three of which appear to converge on the site of the monolith.[1]
Antiquarian accounts
Sir William Stukeley found "the dimensions of the monolith within ground as large as those without".[4] Stukeley found many skulls during his dig and suggested they might have been sacrificial.
Thomas Waller states that in 1861 during levelling of the churchyard the surface of the ground near the monolith was raised 5 feet (1.5 m).[4]
See also
- Menhir de Champ-Dolent in Brittany
References
- ^ a b c d e f Historic England. "Rudston Monolith (79482)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map: Rudston Monolith Standing Stone (Menhir)". Retrieved 2 March 2009.
- ^ "No trace of dinosaur feet on ancient megalith". Yorkshire Post. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ a b Waller, Thomas (1881). Smith, William (ed.). Old Yorkshire. Vol. 1. London: Longmans. p. 25. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
External links
- "Rudston Monolith". Megalithic Portal.
- Photos and history of the stone compiled by Mike Thornton