Any ideas what this might be???

[christianb]

Hi All,

I've been meaning to post this pic for some time in the hope an esteemed user of these forums might know what it is / was.

It's a stone in my garden which is shaped a bit like a man (its much more symmetrical than this photo suggests). Approx 18" tall with no obvious signs of carving or markings. I know this isn't about buildings exactly, but we all like history and heritage here...

C.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Have you excavated there? Is it a little cat gravestone?

 

[christianb]

Although I know that there are pets buried in one part of the garden, this was found elsewhere on the plot (somewhere in the undergrowth) by the grandchildren of the previous owner, and moved to where it is now.

 

[Penners]

My bet is that Joce is right - a pet gravestone of some kind. We've found two at the house we recently moved into, although they're both fairly recent and not at all person-shaped.

One other thought - have you checked your deeds to see whether the house was ever occupied by a Mr & Mrs Lot?

 

[christianb]

No Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms or Master Lot to be found. But part of the cottage was once the "old meeting house" for the village - possible connection there?

 

[Flyfisher]

Or could it be an old mile marker? Are there any signs of lettering?

 

[christianb]

Or could it be an old mile marker? Are there any signs of lettering?

That was my first thought. And it remains a possible, I suppose. But I can't make out any lettering or such (maybe I need to inspect much more closely).

I guess I'd hoped that someone would come out with "ahh, yes, its a such-and-such, typically made by the peasantry in medieval times. There are three on display at the British Museum." But that's a long shot, I guess. Unless someone here specialises in stones shaped like small men.

C.

 

[Anita]

I would guess it's a marker for a grave of some sort. We have a sandstone flag-stone set in the lawn in our orchard, and when the O/H got his divining rods out - he found it to be a grave. And not an animal's one - eeeeeek!!!!!

Definitely no digging in that area!

 

[TimM]

It might be a boundary marker (Parish?).

 

[Gareth Hughes]

It looks a bit like
except that that's in Corsica. There are other anthropomorphic standing stones in Brittanny though (more specifically shaped than in the UK). Have you tried the county archaeologist?

 

[christianb]

Many thanks for the ideas and suggestions. I like the "anthropomorphic standing stones" term for future research, and the parish marker theory is another good one.

When I finally find out I'll let you all know!!

C.