Rudston Monolith
Encyclopedia
The Rudston Monolith at over 7.6 metres (24.9 ft) is the tallest megalith
(Standing stone
) in the United Kingdom
. It is situated in the churchyard in the village of Rudston
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
.
The nearest source (Cayton or Cornelian Bay) of stone of the type the monolith is made of is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of the site. It was probably erected around 1600 BC. 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 which was already considered sacred, a practice which was common through the country, indeed the name of Rudston is thought to come from the Old English "Rood
-stane", meaning "cross-stone", implying that a stone already venerated was adapted for Christian purposes.
Royston stated that in 1861 during levelling of the church yard an additional 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) of the monolith was buried. The weight is estimated at 40 tons (~40,000 kg).
Sir William Strickland
is reported to have conducted an experiment in the late 18th century determining that there was as much of the stone below ground as is visible above. Strickland found many skulls during his dig and suggests they might have been sacrificial.
The top appears to have broken off the stone. If pointed, the stone would originally have stood about 8.5 metres (27.9 ft). In 1773 the stone was capped in lead, this was later removed, though the stone is capped currently.
Fossil
ised dinosaur
footprints on one side of the stone may have contributed to its importance to those who erected it.
The stone is very slender, with two large flat faces. The flat face of the stone faces the midwinter sunrise in the southeast.
Lines, created by removing soil and grass from above the turf may have been created in the area, and have been linked to the stone. There are many other earthworks in the area, including burial mounds and Cursus
es.
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
(Standing stone
Standing stone
Standing stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....
) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is situated in the churchyard in the village of Rudston
Rudston
Rudston is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Driffield and Bridlington approximately to the west of Bridlington, and lies on the B1253 road....
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
.
The nearest source (Cayton or Cornelian Bay) of stone of the type the monolith is made of is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of the site. It was probably erected around 1600 BC. There is one other smaller stone, of the same type, in the churchyard, which was once situated near the large stone. The Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church was almost certainly intentionally built on a site which was already considered sacred, a practice which was common through the country, indeed the name of Rudston is thought to come from the Old English "Rood
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
-stane", meaning "cross-stone", implying that a stone already venerated was adapted for Christian purposes.
Royston stated that in 1861 during levelling of the church yard an additional 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) of the monolith was buried. The weight is estimated at 40 tons (~40,000 kg).
Sir William Strickland
William Strickland
William Strickland may refer to:* William Strickland , English clergyman* William Strickland , credited with introducing the turkey to England, later a Member of Parliament...
is reported to have conducted an experiment in the late 18th century determining that there was as much of the stone below ground as is visible above. Strickland found many skulls during his dig and suggests they might have been sacrificial.
The top appears to have broken off the stone. If pointed, the stone would originally have stood about 8.5 metres (27.9 ft). In 1773 the stone was capped in lead, this was later removed, though the stone is capped currently.
Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
ised dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
footprints on one side of the stone may have contributed to its importance to those who erected it.
The stone is very slender, with two large flat faces. The flat face of the stone faces the midwinter sunrise in the southeast.
Lines, created by removing soil and grass from above the turf may have been created in the area, and have been linked to the stone. There are many other earthworks in the area, including burial mounds and Cursus
Cursus
thumb|right|250px|[[Stonehenge Cursus]], Wiltshirethumb|right|250px|[[Dorset Cursus]] terminal on Thickthorn Down, DorsetCursus was a name given by early British archaeologists such as William Stukeley to the large parallel lengths of banks with external ditches which they thought were early Roman...
es.
