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| Stone Formation Archive 1990 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on November 22, 1990 THEORIES about Avebury's prehistoric site have been blown apart. Newly-published research has revealed dramatic evidence of what lies beneath the ground at Wiltshire's largest set of stone circles. "If we thought we more or less knew everything about Avebury, we were completely wrong," said Michael Hunter, a historian from Birkbeck College, University of London, and one of the team which produced the findings. Mr Hunter is one of four academics who have been surveying the site and studying archive material. He has been working with professor Peter Ucko, of Southampton University; Andrew David, and archaeologist with English Heritage, one of the custodians of the site and Alan Clark, a librarian from the Royal Society. Using the latest scientific techniques, they have been able to piece together a picture of the site below the ground. Electrical sensors were placed in the earth and a current passed between them which picked up different resistance levels. This enabled detailed archaeological research without having to carry out major excavation work. The results revealed: There is a 120ft wide structure buried beneath the north-east quadrant. The avenue of standing stones leading towards the River Kennet is 450ft longer than originally thought. There may be a further circle buried half a mile from the western entrance. There are more signs that there were once massive ceremonial gateways at each of the henge's four entrances. There may have been a prehistoric temple halfway along the stone avenue. More than 40 previously unknown prehistoric stones, pits and other features have come to light. "Unfortunately, our evidence is entirely archaeological and we don't know anything about the ideas of the Neolithic period," said Mr Hunter. "But it's such a massive place it must have been used for ritual." Mr Hunter has concentrated particularly on the writing of the 17th and 18th centuries, including those of the Rev William Stukeley. Stukeley believed the site was laid out on geometrical principles and that Druidism came from the same source as Egyptian religion. That source was a mysterious Gentile prophet, thought incorrectly to be a contemporary of Moses, called Hermes Trismegistus. Stukeley saw the Avebury site as a giant snake, representing God's creative power, crossing a huge circle which symbolised God. There have been many theories about the site's original purpose. Some have thought the sarsen stones selected for the circles indicate a fertility cult. They could roughly be said to alternate female shapes with male ones. A serpent cult centre has also been suggested on the basis that the stones in the avenues do not run straight but in wavy lines. There have also been astronomical explanations for the layout of the stones similar to those applied to Stonehenge. Avebury is much older than Stonehenge and 16 times its size. Mr David, of English Heritage, said: "There are still clearly important bits that remain unsurveyed and we'll be doing that as soon as we can over the next few years. "It's of considerable significance and weĠre giving it priority." As it is still preliminary work, he said there were no plans at the moment for excavation. The four academics have revealed the latest findings in Avebury reconsidered from the 1660's to the 1990's. The book is published by Unwin Hyman for University College London#s Institute of Archaeology and costs £60. Back to 1990 index |
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