One of the world's oldest stone monuments which is as ancient as Stonehenge and the Pyramids sits - on a British council estate.<br /><br />Originally built in the Neolithic period the stone was erected around 4,000 years ago - predating the Great Pyramid of Djoser which was the first in Egypt.<br /><br />But the single megalith now sits next to a block of flats in a cul-de-sac on Ravenswood Avenue, Edinburgh.<br /><br />The forgotten grey sandstone is nearly 7ft tall and is caged in by railings to protect it from vandals.<br /><br />Illustrations from the 19th century show the megalith standing alone in fields near Edinburgh.<br /><br />It remained untouched until it was moved in the early 1800s to facilitate road widening in the area.<br /><br />By the 1960s it was moved again as the new housing estate began to take shape, and it currently stands around 100 metres north of where it was originally.<br /><br />Some say it was put in place to commemorate an ancient battle but a lot remains unknown about the badly weathered relic. <br /><br />It's one of several megaliths found dotted around the area - but the only one found on a housing estate.<br /><br />The standing stone is a scheduled monument.<br /><br />A spokesman for Historic Environment Scotland said: "The monument is of national importance as an icon of prehistoric ritual, albeit in a modern urban setting. <br /><br />"Although the stone no longer has any archaeological potential, it is a monument with cultural significance, capable of speaking to a modern urban population, and worthy of legal protection in its present setting."
