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| Silbury
Archive 2000 |
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 Silbury Hill news, views and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Excavations The Hole Beaker People What is it for? What Next? Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on May 30, 2000 A DEEP shaft has opened up in the centre of Silbury Hill. Heavy rain is thought to be to blame for the collapse of part of the hill, which is Europe's largest man-made monument. The shaft, which is believed to be 40-50ft deep, was today being examined by National Trust archaeologists. The Trust, which manages the monument and nearby Avebury stone circles, sealed off the hill because of fears that more holes could appear. The shaft is believed to be man-made, created in 1776 by miners as part of any exploration into the 130ft high Neolithic monument. It was discovered by tourists last night, and Marlborough policewoman Jayne Sierakowska, who was visiting the hill with her husband Richard, alerted the National Trust. The Trust's Avebury manager Chris Gingell said: "We have been here all night and we have put extra barriers along the roadside to stop people getting on to the hill. Until we get engineering advice we don't know how big a risk there is of a further collapse." Mr Gingell said he believed that the shaft was sunk into the hill by a team of Cornish miners, who were paid by the Duke of Northumberland. He said the shaft had reopened because material used to fill had settled over the centuries leading to the final collapse of the top crust at the weekend. Despite centuries of research and several excavations (the most recent in 1968 by Cardiff University) no one has been able to establish why Silbury Hill was built. Mr Gingell said: "In 1776, the Duke of Northumberland expected to find buried treasure at the foot of the hill but the excavation which took several months revealed nothing other than some Neolithic antler bone tools." Back to 2000 index |
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