Giebichenstein, Glacial erratic and archaeological site in Stöckse, Germany

Giebichenstein is a granite erratic boulder in the Staatsforst Krähe forest near Stöckse, measuring 7.5 m long, 4.5 m wide and 2.75 m high. Its upper surface is wind-polished, showing that only that part once protruded from the sediments. About 150 m south of the stone lies the Stöckser See, and the Teufelsbett megalithic tomb stands close by.

The Giebichenstein was deposited as part of a moraine during the early Saale complex (Rehburger Phase, Drenthe 1) and originates from Sweden. A 1967 excavation at its base yielded around 300 finds, including flint knives and blades, the remains of a Stone Age hunter's camp. Nearby lies a Bronze Age burial mound field of about 1700 BC.

The boulder's image appears on the coat of arms of Stöckse and of the Samtgemeinde Steimbke. Local tradition links the name to a dwarf king, Giebich, who in the legend forced the stone down onto the ridge of the Krähe to stop the giant Hans Lohe; in the regional dialect the stone is called "Gewekenstein".

The site is accessible via a hiking trail established in 1978 that connects three archaeological points of interest. Visitors should wear suitable footwear as the path goes through the forest to reach the stone.

The boulder's surface was dated to 103,000 ±8,000 years ago, when it emerged from the sediments that had buried it. Its upper part is visibly wind-polished, showing that for a time only that section stood free above the ground.