MEM24523 - Possible prehistoric standing stone on Lanacombe (Monument)

An irregularly shaped slab standing 0.2m high, 0.3m long, and 0.1m thick is situated on the north facing slope of Lanacombe in an area of lower grass, perhaps created by the Mires excavations in 2014. The stone is edge set with a point on the top, with a significant layer of lichen, suggesting it is no longer tall enough to be a rubbing post, but it is heavily leaning to the west. No other standing stones are visible nearby, nor is there abundant surface stone nearby that could suggest that this is outcropping. The stone is situated in a Low risk environment. [1] In 2014 Southwest Archaeology excavated a small trench close to this stone to investigate large clear geophysical anomaly located in close proximity to a standing stone. The trench revealed two features: the cut of the pit in which the standing stone was positioned, and a small irregular feature, probably a stone pull. The standing stone was not removed, but material around the base was excavated; c.0.12m was exposed at ground surface level, with a further 0.28m of the stone was exposed during the excavation. The stone leaned slightly to the west, and was roughly L-shaped. It was unclear if the stone had fallen at any point, but the only obvious weathering is on the portion of the stone (a triangular shape) still exposed. It was clear from the exposed portion that the stone was beginning to taper inwards; as such it is unlikely that it is set at any great depth, and probably only a further 0.1-0.15m (c.0.5m below ground surface). [2]