🔄FROM THE ARCHIVE: Archaeologists may finally know the age and true identity of the “Rude Man,” also known as the Cerne Abbas Giant, one of dozens of geoglyphs etched into the British countryside.
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsIn March 2020, archaeologists traveled to a hilltop in Dorset, England, to bag a giant. They sliced into his elbows and feet, then took bits of him back to their labs in bags and metal tubes.
Now, using a combination of laser beams and snails, scientists established that the giant was born between A.D. 700 and A.D. 1100 in the late Saxon or early medieval period. The results were totally unexpected because no other chalk figures date from that time, says environmental archaeologist Mike Allen. “We were all wrong … and that’s tremendously exciting.”
“They are iconic, and they are big tourist attractions,” Allen says. “And archaeologically, they are just a total enigma.” Then around 30 years ago, it became possible to date the figures thanks to a new technique called optically stimulated luminescence . In the 1990s, archaeologist David Miles led a team to date the Uffington White Horse. The scientists took samples of the strata, focusing on the lowest layer of packed chalk and the original sediment beneath it. By shining a laser at the samples, researchers released trapped particles within.
Another possibility is that the long period of social upheaval starting in the 1500s—including the Reformation and English Civil War—triggered a revival of geoglyph creation linked to patriotic, nationalist mythology. The Long Man of Wilmington—a 235-foot-tall chalk man holding a staff in each hand—may be one such symbol. In 2003, OSL dated the figure to roughly A.D. 1545, prompting archaeologist Martin Bell, from the University of Reading, to theorize the Long Man represents a mythical giant.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Police: Man arrested after stealing woman’s purse, stabbing man in chest in downtown SeattleThe male victim was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
Read more »
Advice | Miss Manners: Is it rude to ask hosts to disable their smart speakers?Advice: A reader wishes hosts would disable smart speakers when they come over.
Read more »
FAU coach Dusty May apologizes for player’s rude dunk at end of win over FDUSeconds away from a Sweet Sixteen berth, Florida Atlantic’s Alijah Martin got carried away.
Read more »
Miss Manners: What can I do about these rude people at my gym?Plus: I ended up calling the restaurant to apologize for my date.
Read more »