Unraveling the mystery behind a very erect giant carved into a hillside has been hard, but a recent discovery is hopefully leading scientists closer to the naked truth.
The cartoonish ancient figure, known as the Cerne Abbas Giant, is sculpted into the chalk hillside above Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. Basically, it’s big, it’s holding a club and it’s got a phenomenal phallus.
For centuries, people have speculated about the age and meaning of the giant hewn into the hillside.
“Many theories have surrounded the giant’s identity and origins, including ancient symbol of spirituality, likeness of the Greco-Roman hero Hercules, mockery of Oliver Cromwell and fertility aid,” the National Trust writes about the figure.
There’s even a theory that the figure was carved around the body of an actual giant who was slain by local townspeople.
In July 2020, the BBC reported that scientists had extracted soil samples from the giant to determine its age, but the results were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the scientists did find “microscopic snails in the sediment samples,” which “included species that were introduced into Britain in the medieval period,” meaning the giant was unlikely to be prehistoric.[ATTACH=full]364824[/ATTACH]
