Studying the history of ancient peoples, sometimes you are surprised at the achievements of the past. We have heard a lot about Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome. But how often do people think about prehistoric England? But it was here that cultural monuments were erected that have stood for millennia. They still impress us with their mysteriousness and inaccessibility for understanding by modern man.
Avebury from above.
Today we will talk about the Avebury Monument. Strictly speaking, this object can be safely called a whole architectural complex. In the center is the cromlech (vertical stones placed in a circle). Its diameter reaches 350 m. It was surrounded by a moat and a rampart. Hundreds of stone boulders are placed around it, each of which weighs about 50 tons. Stone "alleys" begin from them. One of them reaches 2.3 km in length and leads to another cromlech.
Interestingly, Avebury is located just 30 km from the famous Stonehenge. This suggests that they were built by one people / tribe. However, there is too much difference in their dating. The construction of Stonehenge dates back to the third millennium BC. e. Avebury began to be created 900 years later. It is possible that those who were involved in its construction could take an example from those who built Stonehenge.
Avebury up close.
It is curious that Ridgeway Road passes not far from Avebury. It was built about five thousand years ago. Perhaps, it was along it that stone boulders were transported, from which the megalithic monument was created.
In 2017, an interesting discovery was made. With the help of radar devices, they discovered a stone square building, which is now buried underground. Its age is approximately 5.5 thousand years. It turns out that it was erected earlier than the complex that is visible now.
Scientists suggest that the square building was of great importance to the locals. Perhaps priests gathered here or meetings of tribal elders were held. Over time, the structure fell into decay or simply collapsed. Apparently for local residents, it was so important that it was decided to start erecting cromlech around it, and then surround it with stone boulders and "alleys".
Promotional video:
One of the stone boulders.
The curious reader will wonder why the ancient tribes were doing this. Even today, it would take a long time and would require a large investment of money. Given the technical level of development of that time, it is difficult to imagine how such a task was achieved.
Proponents of the paleocontact theory will be disappointed here. Despite the hard work, the task is quite feasible for that time. The stones could be transported using ropes and logs. This process took a lot of time, as evidenced by the number of years spent on the creation of this complex. Avebury was built for almost half a millennium. By about 1650 BC. e. it was erected.
Most likely, we are talking about a religious cult. It could be spread over large areas. That is why megalithic structures are found not only in Europe. It is unlikely that he was united. It must be remembered that the relationship between the tribes of that time was bad. They simply could not have erected anything but megalithic buildings to honor their gods. This is where so many stone boulder structures all over the world came from.