Ghost of a flea

Silbury Hill reloaded

British Achaeology rethinks ideas about Silbury Hill, a neolithic earthwork near Avebury:

Antiquaries and archaeologists have been visiting the site since at least the 17th century, and since then Silbury Hill has been interpreted variously as the burial place of an Ancient-British or Roman king, a platform for druid sacrifice, an astronomical observatory, a part of the Avebury temple, a temple to Mercury, a mound for assemblies and law making and a medieval motte.

Oddly enough, the first excavators of the mound, the Duke of Northumberland and Colonel Drax, were closer to the mark in 1776 when, announcing their intention of sinking a shaft 8ft square from the summit to the old ground surface in search of the contents, they issued what amounts to a press release.

Sadly, this article does not do justice to the '76 press release or suggest a radical revision of archaeological commonplaces about the site. A recent three-dimensional survey by English Heritage, however, has revealed the hill is built up in a series of polyhedrons linked by a spiral path. An English Heritage report on the work includes the Duke of Northumberland's press release:

Silbury-Hill, the largest tumulus or artificial mound of earth in this kingdom, supposed to be of between 3 and 4,000 years duration, was begun to be opened by the miners of Mendip, on Thursday last. They have made a hole at top of eight feet square. The Antiquarians promise to themselves wonders from the bowels of this mountain!

And then... Further investigation reveals bad navigation at the English Heritage website. Follow the link to "Archaeological Developments at Silbury Hill" then click through to the proper article in their archaeology section.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at June 30, 2003 10:22 AM