Re: The Giant has fallen :-( | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

StoneGloves wrote:

There's a chance it'll get re-erected if you get on the case and 'don't let it drop'. It looks to me as though it's been pulled by the farmer. That would explain the herbicided strip and the packing stones being scattered. If you can get back with four tentpegs mark the corners of the hole the stone was sat in - that'll give you the original position further down the line when that hole has eroded. If the stone's scheduled as an Ancient Monument then it's E.H. you need to get in touch with and if it's just on the SMR then it's the County Archaeologist. The stone and site will be owned by the farmer and he is the first contact - obviously he doesn't know it's a valuable object. And when you phone the officials be prepared to be underwhelmed by their response.

I think a good chunk of what you said there was nonsense!

For one, it's very,very shallow and looks as if it's fallen. It does not look as if it's been pulled over. Why would you pull it over so that it fell on the crop area? If you were going to pull it over you'd pull along the unploughed strip.

Two, the packing stones would scatter with it being so shallow. Also, some of them could just be field clearance, thrown around the stone because he doesn't plough there. It doesn't look deep enough for there to have been packing stones in place. If they were there they weren't very firmly in the ground anymore.

Three, I'm sure the farmer knows that it's old ... that's why he's been ploughing round it. Whether he cares or not is a different matter and one only he knows the answer to.

Four, the tent pegs are a good idea!

Getting in touch with the county archaeo should probably be the first move. Let them speak to the farmer about standing it up. A bit of prelim excavation should be done before it's re-erected.