Avebury stone circle pictures

Avebury, England - one of the world's biggest stone circles

Avebury is situated near to the Marlborough Downs, and is one of the most complete prehistoric complexes, and the largest henge monument in Britain and includes - The West Kennet Avenue, The Outer and two inner stone circles, Windmill Hill, The Sanctuary, West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill.

The Avebury Circle is thought to have been built before Stonehenge. The great enclosure earthwork was formed by a bank and large inner ditch - the circumference measures 1.3km. The Sarsens used are local unworked stones selected for their shape, some weighing as much as 40 tons.

Click on the pic to see full size version

The West Kennet Avenue

This runs for 2.5km with two rows of stones, linking the Avebury Circle with the Sanctuary. There seem to be two different shapes of stone - pillars and diamonds - which may represent the aspects of male and female. Burials have been discovered at the base of some stones.

Some believe Avebury's stone formations could have been a monument dedicated to a fertility cult, with seasonal symbolic rituals celebrating the Solar year - ensuring the fertility of man, animals and the crops.

pillar shaped stone at Avebury

The Avebury Outer Circle

This is 421 metres in diameter, consisting of 98 stones and partly encloses the village. There would have been room for a vast crowd.
Surrounding the circle is a ditch and bank which form a henge - nearly a mile in circumference. The monument would have been a stunning sight with its white banks and ditch of exposed chalk.

Within the main stone circle are two inner circles - northern and southern. The southern circle originally consisted of 29 stones. The northern circle was made up of three or four stones known as the Cove

diamond shaped stone at Avebury

The amazing Avebury's Neolithic temple never fails to stun visitors as they experience its staggering monuments, and feel the power of the ancient natural and spirital energy that flows around the circle and surrounding complex. Magical myths abound about the stones : The Swindon Stone apparently revolves on its own axis at midnight and sometimes crosses the road. Running 100 times anti-clockwise round The Devil's Chair Stone will summon up supernatural powers or even the devil - young women used to sit on the ledge on May Day Eve (Beltane) and make a wish. When electronic items are used near the ancient ley lines that run through the village they mysteriously fail. The magical ley lines are known as Michael and Mary, and cross near the stones in the southern part of the circle. As with Stonehenge we can only guess at what happened at Avebury - seasonal celebrations such as at the solstices - so important to agricultural communities, rituals to honour the dead, ceremonies communicating with the powerful forces of nature, worship of the sun and moon, fertility rites... as the midsummer sun rises over Hackpen Hill the mystery continues...
Recommended books on Avebury
	The Secrets of the Avebury Stones - Terence Meaden June 1999 ISBN:0285635018 £13.20 An interesting theory that most of the Avebury stones reveal profiles of human heads at certain times, and also a study of the male and female grading of stones and subsequently the possible reasons behind the building of the magnificent megalithic Avebury.
	Avebury: Biography of a landscape - Joshua Pollard, Andrew Reynolds April 2002 ISBN: 0752419579 £16.14 This book covers Avebury's stone circle and the surrounding landscape from Prehistoric to Medieval times. It discusses the people who would have lived nearby and those who visited this fascinating monument.

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Avebury stone circle pictures

Avebury is situated near to the Marlborough Downs, and is one of the most complete prehistoric complexes, and the largest henge monument in Britain and includes - The West Kennet Avenue, The Outer and two inner stone circles, Windmill Hill, The Sanctuary, West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill.

The West Kennet Avenue

The Avebury Outer Circle

Recommended books on Avebury

All photos and content Copyright © R.G 2003-2006 New-age.co.uk is not responsible for the content of any other sites listed.

All photos and content Copyright © R.G 2003-2006
New-age.co.uk is not responsible for the content of any other sites listed.