Rudston Monolith forum 7 room
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Rudston Monolith

Ruston's mini-lith

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Jane J
Jane May 23, 2004 21:37:47
Replying to Steve Gray

According to James Dyer, in his book 'Discovering Prehistoric England', the stone coffin was rescued from a nearby barrow which was trashed in the 19thC, I think (I'm working from memory here as the book's at Moth's house). I couldn't make sense of the lichen-covered minilith at all. Perhaps it, too, was rescued from loss and trashing at the same time as the cist? God, I love stone cists!

If you haven't got 'Discovering Prehistoric England', get it Steve, it's really rather splendid.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747805075/qid=1085344364/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-9710664-8188603

J
x

S Steve Gray
Steve Gray May 24, 2004 09:23:35
Replying to Jane

"God, I love stone cists!"

Don't ya just love it when a woman talks like that? ;o)

It seems a funny thing for a pagan cist to be buried in a xtian cemetary. I suppose the fact that the monolith is still there at all is pretty wierd.

I'm intrigued by the name Rudston = Rood Stone = Cross Stone. That does suggest that the monolith may have been xtianised. If it did have a cross on top, as is suggested by several references on the web, why isn't it still there? After all the church would surely have maintained the xtain nature of the site over the years. Even if the cross fell off, would't they have replaced it?

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