ISLAMABAD - The Cerne Abbas Giant is not prehistoric and may have been cut in the 17th-century before becoming a propaganda tool for William of Orange, snail shells revealed. The origins of the Dorset-based, 180-feet-tall hill figure of the club-wielding nude have long been a mystery — with folklore claiming it was an ancient fertility symbol. However, soil samples taken from the giant’s elbows and feet contain microscopic land snails shells that did not appear in England until the 13–14 Centuries. The investigation of the hill figure’s history is being undertaken by the National Trust in celebration of their having overseen the site for the last 100 years. Further tests of the soil samples — which should reveal the chalk giant’s exact age — have been delayed by COVID-19, but should be concluded later this year.