A weighty stone carving which was being used as a garden ornament and could date back to Anglo Saxon times is now attracting worldwide interest as a possible ancient mystery, thanks to a Warrington based archaeologist.
Woolston based James Balme, a member of the warrington-worldwide team, bought the carving, which had been a garden ornament in Leicester, on e-bay.
It was very dirty and may have been ploughed up many years ago. Despite the carving’s poor shape, James thought it was no ordinary ornament and now it has been cleaned up he believes it may date back to Anglo-Saxon times and contain an ancient message.
It contains an extremely complex pattern that is difficult to describe.
“It’s possible the pattern carved may be some form of writing,” said James. “The carving’s use is unknown, though it could be “a keystone from an archway or indeed a vaulted ceiling,” he added.
It weighs between 55 and 65 pounds (25 and 30 kilograms), appears to be made out of a hard form of sandstone.
James, who previously helped unearth a Roman fort at Warburton near Lymm, said: “It’s wide at its base but gets narrower toward the top. It stands about 18 inches (46 centimeters) high and is 5.5 inches (14 cm) thick. Its decorations are entirely on the front face although it does have many chisel marks on the sides and back,” he said.
The date of the carving is uncertain. James says that it may date to the Anglo-Saxon period, which started in 410 when the Roman Empire abandoned Britain, and lasted until 1066, when the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, invaded England.
During the Anglo-Saxon period several different groups migrated to England. These people created fine works of art such as complex stone carvings, some of which survive today. Literature also flourished at this time, the poem “Beowulf” being one of the most famous works from this period.
Although an Anglo-Saxon date for the stone carving is a distinct possibility, James cannot be certain.
Questions also remain as to what exactly the carving was used for and whether the pattern may represent some form of writing.
James has now taken to Twitter and the internet seeking help to unravel the carving’s mysteries while the find has also sparked interest from the Discovery Channel, Fox News, specialist websites, along with national media and TV.
