Written by two experts with unrivalled information and knowledge of Silbury Hill, and combining scholarly research and readable narrative, this book sets out the archaeological story of Silbury: from an early recognition of its importance to antiquarian and archaeological investigations of the hill. The book describes each event, setting it within its own historical and political context; the story of the monument is juxtaposed with the enigmatic and eccentric characters of the time. The collapse on the summit in 2000, leading to the opening of the hill's famous tunnel in 2007 to much media fanfare, is covered. For the first time the results of the recent work are set out in detail, describing early activity on the site, the origins of the monument and the construction techniques used. Numerous new and vivid reconstruction drawings present a unique interpretation of this iconic prehistoric monument. The book also describes how the monument was seen and used by later communities, from the Roman small town that grew up around the hill - the inhabitants quite literally living in its shadow - to medieval buildings on the summit. The final chapter discusses what Silbury means to people today: its power and spirituality for locals, visitors, New Agers and Druids alike.

Adam Thorpe is a novelist and poet, whose books include the ground-breaking Ulverton.

Silbury Hill is an enormous earthen mound that is situated in the heart of the Marlborough Downs, and set today within the Avebury World Heritage Site. This academic monograph will provide a full account of the recent archaeological investigations.

Silbury, the biggest mystery in prehistoric Britain, here solved and enhanced

Britain's pagan past, with its mysterious monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artifacts, bloodthirsty legends, and cryptic inscriptions, is both enthralling and perplexing to a resident of the twenty-first century. In this ambitious and thoroughly up-to-date book, Ronald Hutton reveals the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism, from the Paleolithic Era to the coming of Christianity. He draws on an array of recently discovered evidence and shows how new findings have radically transformed understandings of belief and ritual in Britain before the arrival of organized religion. Setting forth a chronological narrative, Hutton along the way makes side visits to explore specific locations of ancient pagan activity. He includes the well-known sacred sites—Stonehenge, Avebury, Seahenge, Maiden Castle, Anglesey—as well as more obscure locations across the mainland and coastal islands. In tireless pursuit of the elusive “why” of pagan behavior, Hutton astonishes with the breadth of his understanding of Britain’s deep past and inspires with the originality of his insights.

In this book, Lynne Kelly explores the role of formal knowledge systems in small-scale oral cultures in both historic and archaeological contexts. In the first part, she examines knowledge systems within historically recorded oral cultures, showing how the link between power and the control of knowledge is established. Analyzing the material mnemonic devices used by documented oral cultures, she demonstrates how early societies maintained a vast corpus of pragmatic information concerning animal behavior, plant properties, navigation, astronomy, genealogies, laws and trade agreements, among other matters. In the second part Kelly turns to the archaeological record of three sites, Chaco Canyon, Poverty Point and Stonehenge, offering new insights into the purpose of the monuments and associated decorated objects. This book demonstrates how an understanding of rational intellect, pragmatic knowledge and mnemonic technologies in prehistoric societies offers a new tool for analysis of monumental structures built by non-literate cultures.