snail analysis

Current Archaeology
410

A tale of three giants? New evidence for the evolution of Cerne Abbas’ chalk colossus

The 55m-tall hill-figure that towers above the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset has long been the subject of debate, in terms of both its date and whom it represents. Mike Allen reports on fieldwork undertaken in 2020-2024 which revealed new clues – and surprises – about the Giant.

Above Overlooking the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset. New dating evidence for this chalk hill figure suggests that its origins might lie in the late Anglo Saxon period.

Current Archaeology
376

Latest dating evidence for the Cerne Abbas hill figure

Analysis of sediment samples taken from the Cerne Abbas Giant has shed new light on the origins of the Dorset hill figure, suggesting that the chalk outline may have been created in the late Anglo-Saxon period. Current Archaeology's Carly Hilts reports.