A museum in Dorset is giving people the opportunity to learn more about the history of one the county’s most iconic landmarks.

The Cerne Giant, located outside the village of Cerne Abbas, has been an iconic figure in local culture and folklore.

Origins of the giant are unknown and have been a matter for debate with advocates for a prehistoric origin, one connected to the period of the Civil War and a more modern explanation for the depiction.  

After the National Trust conducted excavations in 2020, to commemorate its 100 ownership of the Giant, an accurate, verified date was provided, seeing it fall within the Anglo-Saxon period.

The conference, held at the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery on High West Street on Saturday, September 28 will give people the opportunity to explore the findings of the project and its implications in local and historical context.

Talks will be held throughout the day from a number of archaeologists, academics, independent authors and researchers. It will take a multidisciplinary approach to the interpretation of the giant as well as other significant hill figures in the Wessex area including the Uffington White Horse and the Long Man of Wilmington.

The various talks will draw both on artwork depicting the hill figures, as well as excavation reports to see how their significance has changed across time.

There will also be an opportunity to explore resources and displays in the conference hall on the day, including geophysical and auger surveys, as well as a chance to meet contributors to the recent project and publication: 'A Date with the Two Cerne Giants: Reinvestigating an Iconic British Hill Figure'. Copies of the publication will be on sale at the event at a one-day-only price of £18.75.

Speakers include Dr Mike Allen (Allen Environmental Archaeology), Professor Timothy Darvill (Bournemouth University), Professor Martin Bell (University of Reading), Chris Butler (CBAS Ltd), Dr David Miles (former Chief Archaeologist, English Heritage), Paul Cheetham (Bournemouth University), Kate Adie (Author and Broadcaster), Professor Barbara Yorke (University of Winchester), Dr Sarah Fry (Institute of Historical Research, University of London), David Dawson (Wiltshire Museum) and Garry Gibbons (Independent Researcher).