Riesenstein (Wolfershausen)
| Riesenstein | |
The megalith Riesenstein from the north. HDR Image.
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 Shown within Hesse
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| Alternate name | Giant's Stone |
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| Location | Wolfershausen, Hesse, Germany |
| Coordinates | 51°11′32.45″N 9°26′40.33″E / 51.1923472°N 9.4445361°ECoordinates: 51°11′32.45″N 9°26′40.33″E / 51.1923472°N 9.4445361°E |
| Type | megalith |
| Length | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | Tertiary quartzite |
| Founded | earlier than 3000 B.C. |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | yes |
The Riesenstein (English: giant's stone) is a megalith or menhir, which is situated close to the village of Wolfershausen. It is the largest megalith in the district of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse, Germany.
The Riesenstein is located 1.14 km (0.71 mi) directly north of the village of Wolfershausen. It can be reached from a tarmacked road north of the railway bridge, where it is signposted. It is located on the south-eastern corner of a small woodland. The megalith is also close to the eastern bank of the Eder River, which is just 180 m (590 ft) away (over the railway).
Riesenstein is composed of Neogene Miocene (from 23 million years ago to 8 million years ago) quartzite. In contrast to quartzites produced by metamorphism, the Tertiary sedimentary quartzites were the product of intense weathering of local Triassic Buntsandstein sandstones in a tropical climate. This entailed bleaching of sandstone and silicification by movement of silica-saturated groundwater through the strata. Consequently, the rock is practically made completely of quartz, with very little porosity.
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