Wiltshire Tour - Part 1

April -  Wiltshire Tour

Wiltshire Tour Part 1

The Stone Circle

Stonehenge

We set off on a cold and windy  morning to visit one of Britain's oldest historic sites - Stonehenge. Archaeologists believe the ring of stones was built anywhere between 3000BC and 2000BC evolving in several construction phases spanning at least 1,500 years. There is evidence of large-scale construction on and around the monument that perhaps extends the landscape's time frame to 6,500 years. Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. A number of myths surround the stones. Regardless of these tales Stonehenge appears to have been associated with burial from the earliest period of its existence.

A Neolithic hut

Although we have visited several times over the years we wanted to see the new visitors centre and exhibition and other changes. - we were not disappointed. The (new!) Neolithic houses gave an insight to life 4500 years ago.

During the twentieth century, Stonehenge began to be revived as a place of religious significance by followers of Neopagan and New Age  beliefs, particularly the Neo-Druids - a  modern  religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. There is no accurate historic information about any ancient priests or religious practices that may or may not have taken place at Stonehenge, and so it is fairly safe to say that the modern Druidic movement has no direct connection to them, despite contrary claims made by some.

Woodhenge

Not far from Stonehenge is Woodhenge

Dating from 2300 BC, Woodhenge is thought to have marked a particular stage in the evolution of human religious belief and community organisation until this found a more permanent form in Stonehenge.

Originally believed to be the remains of a large burial mound concrete markers that stand there today replace the six concentric rings of timber posts which are believed to have once supported a ring-shaped building.  

Child's Burial Cairn 

There is evidence that it was in use around 1800 BC.  It is possible that the banks and ditches were used for defensive purposes in addition to any ceremonial function.It is impossible to know for certain what the rings of timbers were for. However one clue that the site might have been used used for burial and religious purposes was the discovery at the centre of the site of the burial of a three-year-old child whose skull had been split open with an axe – apparently a sacrificial victim.

A structure similar to Woodhenge may have stood at the centre of Stonehenge before the great stone circle and trilithons were erected. Traces of two more have been found within the large enclosure known as Durrington Walls that lies just 230 feet (70 metres) to the north of Woodhenge.

The exact appearance, purpose and status of these structures remains unknown. If they were indeed roofed buildings, they may have served many functions, just as churches and cathedrals did in the Middle Ages.

The purpose and use of both sites together with Avebury a few miles away continue to be clouded in mystery.

Avebury

Korean Visit to Avebury

Avebury Henge is thought to have been constructed in Neolithic times around 2500 BC. It consists of an impressively large stone circle surrounded by a deep ditch and a bank.  It is still possible to walk among the stones and sense the unique, enigmatic atmosphere of the prehistoric site. By the Iron Age, the site had been effectively abandoned. During the Early Middle Ages, a village first began to be built around the monument, which eventually extended into it. William Stukeley  in the late 17th century, incorrectly believed that Avebury had been built by the druids,  although archaeologists since then have identified the monument as having been constructed two thousand years before the Iron Age, during the Neolithic period. Others have also produced inaccurate theories about how Avebury was built and by whom.   A great deal of interest surrounds the morphology of the stones, which are usually described as being in one of two categories; tall and slender, or short and squat. This has led to numerous theories relating to the importance of gender in Neolithic Britain  with the taller stones considered "male" and the shorter ones "female". These interpretations have been defined by professional archaeologist Aubrey Burl as being "more phony than factual", and in many cases "entirely untenable"!

We depart soon on our main tour but hope to continue the next part of our tour of Wiltshire before we leave.. keep following!!