If you need to name the most ancient landmark of Great Britain, most will remember about Stonehenge in Wiltshire in the south-west of England. But in the British Isles there are many megalithic monuments. These include the Newgrange tombs in Ireland, numerous prehistoric mounds and stone circles. But few people know that in the same county Wiltshire is no less ancient than Stonehenge, an object - the magnificent mound of Silbury Hill.
This huge earthen mound rises next to the highway from London to Bristol. The mound is part of a complex of ancient archaeological structures that surround the largest stone circle in the world - Avebury-Henge. Silbury is located right in the center of this complex of objects under the auspices of UNESCO, uniting the most significant Neolithic structures, including Stonehenge, Avebury and other ancient megaliths and barrows.
How Silbury Hill was created
Since Silbury and Stonehenge were erected almost at the same time as the Egyptian pyramids (around 2400 BC), theories arose about the relationship of these ancient British structures with Egypt. This is not surprising when you consider that Silbury actually represents an earthen pyramid. The height of Silbury Hill is 40 m with a base diameter of 160 m, so it can be considered the highest prehistoric mound in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It is believed that 4 million people had to move 500 thousand tons of stones and earth to build this earthen pyramid.
Like the pyramids, Silbury has the same ideally designed structure. It is built of chalky limestone and soil laid by horizontal layers or, possibly, spirals. The sides of the hill are strictly at an angle of 30 degrees. Now the top of the mound is completely covered with grass and seems completely flat. There are suggestions that initially it was domed, and the sides of this earthen embankment were covered with a thick limestone layer. A moat 6.5 m deep led to the mound, which was laid in rock and was probably filled with water from nearby sources. If this is true, then the limestone slopes of the Silbury pyramid, reflected in these waters, presented a very picturesque picture.
By the way, on the pages of most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the ancient pyramids of the planet.
The main versions of the destination of the Silbury barrow
Archaeologists know when and how Silbury Hill was built, but the reasons for its construction are still a mystery. What this building was intended for and what role it played in the lives of the people living in this territory are questions that do not find reliable answers, but serve as the basis for the emergence of numerous guesses and theories.
Some versions are based on anthropology, others represent a combination of pseudo-scientific theories with occultism. There is speculation that the hill could be a giant sundial. According to other versions, Silbury Hill is a pristine mound, which is the embodiment of the myth of the creation of the world and represents the personification of Mother Earth. Its origin is also associated with crop circles, UFOs, and visitors from other worlds.
It is difficult to find the most plausible theory of the origin of Silbury Hill, even if you try to connect it with other prehistoric monuments in this region. The mound belongs to a complex of Neolithic structures that surround the stone circle of Avebury, also associated with a number of other prehistoric structures in the vicinity (including two parallel vertical stone pillars). All of them could well serve for various ritual processions.
It was also noted that other nearby objects can be arbitrarily connected by straight lines. Some scholars believe that this may indicate the presence in ancient times of roads connecting these objects and serving for ceremonial processions. Other Silbury researchers are inclined to believe that these imaginary lines can unite the link of the energy points of the planet represented by various sacred objects, ranging from the British megaliths and Egyptian pyramids to the Great Wall of China.
Another theory suggests that these lines can serve as confirmation of the connection between Wiltshire and Ancient Egypt, combining Silbury with the Great Pyramids of Giza, which were used as the central reference point in the Egyptian system of measuring the Earth. Based on the assumption that Stonehenge could be an astronomical calendar, other scientists came to the conclusion that the conditional lines between the buildings in this complex of prehistoric structures could reflect various astronomical relationships.
Since there are many mounds in this area of UNESCO heritage sites, there is also a version that Silbury, like the pyramids, was used to bury the powerful ancient ruler. According to the tradition of the appearance of the name, it is likely that King Silas could be buried here. But no one knows for sure whether such a ruler really existed. Some claim that he lies beneath a hill in a golden coffin, clad in pure gold armor, and next to it is a golden horse. Such allegations are associated with the legends of King Arthur. But it can also be the mythical Sol - the god of the sun, an analogue of the Celtic Bran, whose head, according to legend, is buried on a white mountain.
The time and effort spent on building Silbury indicates that this was a very solemn event. This theory is confirmed by the mistletoe branches found on the site of the mound, a plant that was often used in sacred pagan rites. The ancient druids used it during the celebration of the winter solstice. They also considered mistletoe to be an aphrodisiac and a cure for infertility, which later became the basis for the emergence of the Christmas custom of kisses under the branches of this plant. Curious is the fact that Silbury Hill was used by locals as a place for religious holidays until the mid-19th century.
Barrow research
The increased interest in Silbury Hill has contributed to numerous archaeological excavations here. In 1766, the Duke of Northumberland hired diggers to unearth part of the mound in the hope of finding the treasures of the Force here. Excavations on the hill were carried out in 1849, 1922, 1959, 1967 and 1969.
Inside the mounds there are usually burial chambers, where the remains of burials are located. But during the excavation of Silbury Hill, a similarity of such chambers was found, but no evidence of burial was found there.
In 2000, due to heavy rains, the top of the hill was blurred and it was mothballed. Research on the mysterious mound continues, but now exclusively with the help of sonars. No traces of the presence of King Sil's remains on a golden horse were found under Silbury Hill. The question of what lies beneath this barrow and for what purposes it serves remains an unsolved secret of this unique archaeological site of Great Britain.
Article Author: skywriter13