mirrored file at http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== [1]Chris Witcombe - [2]Sweet Briar College - [3]witcombe at sbc.edu _________________________________________________________________ Silbury Hill [4][LINK] Silbury Hill, located just south of the village of [5]Avebury in Wiltshire, is a massive artificial mound with a flat top. It is approximately 130 feet (40 m.) high, with a base circumference of 1640 feet. It is composed of over 12 million cubic feet (339,600 cubic m.) of chalk and earth and covers over 5 acres (2 ha). Silbury Hill occupies a low-lying site and except at certain points in the landscape (notably from the [6]West Kennet Long Barrow from which this photograph was taken), it does not protrude significantly above the horizon. It was built in three stages, the first begun around 2,660 B.C.E. The last phase comprised the building of six concentric steps or terraces of chalk which were then covered with chalk rubble, flints, gravel, and finally soil to form a cone-shaped mound. Each of the six steps was concealed within the overall profile of the mound, except the last one at the top which was left as a terrace or ledge about 17 feet (5 m.) below the summit. This terrace is clearly visible on the eastern side of the mound, but less distinct from the west. Various legends have been attached to Silbury Hill. Folklore has claimed it to be the burial place of an otherwise forgotten King Sil (or Zel); of a knight in golden armour; and even of a solid gold horse and rider. It is also told that the Devil was going to empty a huge sack of earth on the town of Marlborough, but was forced to drop it here by the magic of the priests from nearby Avebury. According to [7]William Stukeley, the top of the hill was dug into in 1723 and some bones were discovered together with an ancient bridle. The mound was again dug into in 1776 and in 1849. In 1967, excavations were undertaken by Richard Atkinson but again neither burials nor any clue to the mound's meaning were discovered. Atkinson did learn, however, through radiocarbon analysis that the mound dates to around 2660 B.C.E. Further evidence from the remains of plants and insects indicated that the structure was begun during the first week in August, probably at the time of the Celtic festival of [8]Lugnasadh (or Lammas) at the start of the harvest season. When seen from the [9]West Kennet Long Barrow (as in the view at the top of this page), the summit of Silbury breaks the horizon at the line of the terrace. [10][LINK] When seen from the [11]Sanctuary, the summit is in line with the distant horizon, and even appears to slope gently with it. [12][LINK] Silbury can clearly be seen in the background, its summit in line with the horizon, in a drawing made by [13]William Stukeley of part of the [14]Sanctuary in 1723. [15][LINK] Silbury also appears prominently in Stukeley's drawing of the 'great stone serpent of the [16]Avebury complex. The very top of the mound can also be discerned from the village of Avebury in what has been described as a precise geomantic relation with the so-called 'Obelisk' in the Avebury complex. It can be seen, however, only after the crops in the intervening field on the horizon have been harvested; the standing grain is sufficient to obscure the view. For some, this is further evidence for interpreting the mound in connection with harvest festivals. The original purpose of Silbury is unknown, although various explanations have been put forward over the years. Recently, Michael Dames has suggested that the hill is a symbolic effigy of the ancient Mother Goddess and is to be associated with fertility rituals which marked the course of the year. The festival of [17]Lugnasadh (or Lammas) in August, when it is thought Silbury was founded, celebrates the first fruits of the harvest. It has been pointed out that the spring which rises five hundred yards south of the hill and is the source of the River Kennet, was formerly called the Cunnit, a name which may be connected to the Mother Goddess and fertility. Another explanation argues that Silbury Hill could have been used as an accurate solar observatory by means of the shadows cast by the mound itself on the carefully levelled plain to the north, towards Avebury. The meridian line from Silbury runs through Avebury church which stands on a [18]ley line running between [19]Stonehenge and the stone circle at Winterbourne Abbas. The same ley line also passes through two churches and the eastern slope of Silbury. Silbury, in fact, is a centre for alignments of straight prehistoric tracks, resurfaced by the Romans, and of standing stones. The Roman road between Marlborough and Bath runs directly towards Silbury Hill before swerving to avoid it. This would indicate that the Roman road followed a pre-existing track or ley line. John Michell (see [20]Ley Lines) makes the following observations: "In view of the fact that in China mounds like that at Silbury were erected upon lung-mei, the paths of the dragon (see [21]Geomany), there is good reason to suspect that Silbury itself was sited by Pre-Celtic [22]Druids on a dragon line with the assistance of a geomancer's compass. It may also be inferred that the Chinese lung-mei stretch over the entire globe. Many centres of English dragon legend (see [23]Dragons and Dragon-killers) stand at the junction of well-marked leys, one notable long-distance example being the St Michael's line that runs from the Avebury circle to the extreme west of Cornwall." (The View over Atlantis, 1983, p. 70) _________________________________________________________________ Other Silbury Hill links: * [24]Silbury Hill (through Paola Arosio and Diego Meozzi's [25]Stone Pages, a great megalithic website, in Italy) * [26]Silbruy Hill (through [27]The Wiltshire Web) * [28]Silbury Hill (a report in [29]Fortean Times on line, The Journal of strange phenomena) _________________________________________________________________ Back to [30]Megalithic Sites and Mounds Back to [31]Earth Mysteries: Introduction _________________________________________________________________ References 1. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/Witcombe.table.html 2. http://www.sbc.edu/ 3. mailto:witcombe at sbc.edu 4. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMSilbury.jpg 5. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMAvebury.html 6. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMKennet.html 7. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMStukeley.html 8. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMCelticFestivals.html 9. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMKennet.html 10. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMSanctSilbury.jpg 11. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMSanctuary.html 12. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMSanctStukeley.jpg 13. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMStukeley.html 14. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMSanctuary.html 15. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMAveburyStukeley.jpg 16. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMAvebury.html 17. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMCelticFestivals.html 18. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMLeyLines.html 19. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMStonehenge.html 20. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMLeyLines.html 21. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMGeomancy.html 22. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMDruids.html 23. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMDragons.html 24. http://joshua.micronet.it/utenti/dmeozzi/England/Inglese/SilburyHill.html 25. http://joshua.micronet.it/utenti/dmeozzi/homeng.html 26. http://www.jpc-infonet.co.uk/history/silbury.htm 27. http://www.jpc-infonet.co.uk/history/ 28. http://alpha.mic.dundee.ac.uk/ft/stories/SilburyHill.html 29. http://alpha.mic.dundee.ac.uk/ft/ 30. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMMegaSites.html 31. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMIntro.html