Re: Fin-shaped standing stone | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Wiltshire 25

Image by Chance

Please look at my stone

fauny fergus Jul 27, 2010 22:16:16

Replying to Rhiannon

Rhiannon wrote:

Aw thankyou Stonelifter. Dyou know it's strangely touching to have your support. It is a good shape and it has got nice lichen. I thought those things gave it added points too. [...]

'Scuse my ignorance but what does lichen show? My dad had a car with lichen growing on it. Adnmittedly it was a fair few years old but not what i'd call ancient!

StoneGloves Jul 28, 2010 04:24:07

Replying to fauny fergus

"'Scuse my ignorance but what does lichen show?"

Age. That yellow stuff takes a long time to form and suggests the stone has been there for at least fifty years. There's a succession of lichen species, first you get this one, then this one, then that one. It also shows the air there is free of the common types of pollution, particularly sulphur dioxide.