Post by JoannaL on Jul 14, 2020 17:43:01 GMT -5
Cleaning the Cerne Abbas Giant
Cerne Abbas Giant May Be Medieval, Not Prehistoric
According to legend, the 180-foot Cerne Abbas Giant is a prehistoric fertility symbol. Now, however, scientists are saying the chalk figure located just north of the village of Cerne Abbas, Dorset, is probably from the Medieval period.
The earliest written record of the giant is from 1694, but because of its seemingly obvious fertility symbolism, i.e., the male form’s 35-foot erect penis, people, including archaeologists, have assumed the humongous chalk figure was created by prehistoric pagans who engaged in some sort of phallic worship. Many believe the figure is of Celtic origin because the giant is stylistically similar to a figure discovered on a skillet handle in nearby Hod Hill that has been dated to around 10 to 51 AD.
Nevertheless, a study of the hill figure undertaken by the National Trust suggests the giant is more likely from the early 1600s, primarily because the tiny vineyard snail, Cernuella vigata, present in soil samples, did not arrive in England until the late Medieval period. “They arrived here accidentally,” explained Dr. Michael Allen, “probably in straw and hay used as packing for goods from the continent. Sadly, this shows the giant is unlikely to be prehistoric or Roman – and more likely dates to Medieval times or later.” The archaeologist also noted two snail species that first appeared in Britain in Roman times and would have validated the figure’s presumed antiquity, were not present in the soil at the site.
There have been many theories as to the creation of the Cerne Abbas carving: For example, William Stukeley, a Georgian clergyman and antiquarian, believed the giant represented the Roman god Hercules, an indication it was created after AD 43.
A second theory is that the figure was carved into the chalk hill at the direction of Lord Denzil Holles, who owned the land, possibly as a parody of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (1653-1658), with the club representing his repressive rule and the phallus mocking his Puritan beliefs.
Historian Brian Edwards of the University of the West of England credits Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who later became the third Earl of Shaftesbury, with the creation. He is of the opinion the giant was a propaganda tool of William of Orange (William III, 1689-1702), illustrating the King’s Herculean status.
National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth is convinced expert analysis will provide an exact date for the Cerne Giant’s origins, claiming the technique utilized can “determine when mineral grains in soil were last exposed to sunlight.”
Sources: Tom Fish, The Express, July 11, 2020; Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, July 9, 2020; and BBC News, July 8, 2020.
