Day 7: The Neolithic Sites

APRIL 10 - Today we step back to the earliest known era of human presence in the region, that of pre-historic rock temples and tombs. Up at 6:00 again to make the early tour of Stonehenge. In order to actually be able to wander within the stone circles, space must be reserved for a tour before regular opening hours. For the second day in a row we have good weather.

Today’s route: (A) and (F) Bradford-on-Avon, (B) Stonehenge, (C) West Kennet Long Barrow, (D) Silbury Hill, (E) Avebury.

The large stones of Stonehenge are known as the sarsen stones, and are basically a silicified sandstone. They are not native to the immediate surroundings, but had to be transported many kilometers. Such an operation would have required a large labor force and a great deal of engineering skill.

Note the ‘peg’ in the top of the stone. This originally joined with a notch carved into the lintel, or horizontal stone placed along the top. In the later iteration of this circle, an outer circle of vertical stones with a connecting set of lintels was followed by a two inside rings of smaller vertical stones, and a larger set of vertical stones with lintels connecting only sets of two.

$Do you see a face on this rock? Many others do! Personally I see spalling, caused by a rough conchoidal fracturing. But call me a geologist, bereft of spiritual understanding. This is not to say that such a rock would not have been placed here precisely because of the image.$

Do you see a face on this rock? Many others do! Personally I see spalling, caused by a rough conchoidal fracturing. But call me a geologist, bereft of spiritual understanding. This is not to say that such a rock would not have been placed here precisely because of the image.

In the dramatic tales that accompany the site, the above phenomenon, seen on a fallen sarsen stone, has been called the evidence of blood from ancient sacrifices. It is, of course, the result of iron oxidation that concentrates in depressions that remain wet for long periods of time.

No debate about these! The dark circles are damage caused by bullets being shot at the stones. This occurred during WWII, when nearby stationed troops used Stonehenge for target practice.

The smaller stones are those mentioned above, forming a circles between the larger sarsen stones with lintels.

There is a great deal that can be said about the history of Stonehenge. Our earlier trip to the special exhibit in the British Museum gave me a good historical arc to understand how the meaning of Stonehenge changed in the pre-historic era. However, the real motive for taking on such a massive project in the first place seems a bit elusive, given that most people’s lives were consumed with the simple task of survival.

We continued on to the nearby site of Woodhenge. It was constructed in a similar fashion, but with wooden poles. Obviously they are all long gone, but their locations are identifiable by the holes excavated, along with objects that were buried around them. Today, the locations are noted by short concrete pillars.

Unlike Stonehenge, no one has a problem if you stand on anything.

On to the West Kennet Long Barrow, to the north. In this site, at least as old as Stonehenge and perhaps older, is a long burial mound from which 36 individuals are known to have been interred.

The interred (including men, women, and children) were found in the front 20 meters or so of the mound. Given that the complete barrow extends for some distance, there is the possibility that a great deal more exists buried here. The large sarsen stones above were placed much later, perhaps 1000 years, to finally seal off the tomb from any further use.

The entrance. Several chambers are present on the left and the right of the passage shown. It is thought that this is only the latest iteration of burial, which may have destroyed earlier ones.

Nearby is Silbury Hill, in a low lying area near a stream. Originally this hill stood out boldly, as it was covered in white chalk. Though some empty chambers have been found inside, the definitive use of this structure is unknown. It may have been positioned to line up with the nearby Long Barrow and other Neolithic sites, but this is only speculation.

The last site we visited today was Avebury. Quite popular, as it is both an extensive stone circle, and free to visit. A village was constructed in the center of the ring, which breaks up the visual continuity of the site.

Again, unlike Stonehenge, no one is really concerned with people touching the stones. Here, Odette is seated on a fallen sarsen. Some of them are nearly as large as those of Stonehenge, but placed too far apart for there to have been lintels connecting them.

Back to Bradford-on-Avon. Sadly, it is our last day to visit with Mike, Tanya, and their children. Go out to a Thai place for some good eats and Singha beer.

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