West Kennet Long Barrow, Neolithic tomb in Wiltshire, England
West Kennet Long Barrow is a neolithic chambered tomb in Wiltshire, England, consisting of an elongated earthen mound with stone structures at the eastern end. The entrance leads into several chambers spanned by heavy capstones that open off a central passage.
The burial site was created around the year 3650 before the common era and served as a burial place for more than a millennium. Archaeologists partially resealed the entrance in the 20th century after earlier excavations had exposed the inner rooms.
The name derives from the nearby village of West Kennet and refers to one of the largest accessible burial mounds in England. Visitors can walk through the low stone chambers and see how sarsen blocks support the ceiling and define the inner rooms.
The burial mound lies on a chalk ridge near Silbury Hill and can be reached via a marked footpath from the car park on the main road. The low passages inside require bending down, so visitors should wear sturdy footwear and watch for uneven floor surfaces.
Excavations revealed that the burial chambers form a perfect isosceles triangle, with the height measuring exactly twice the length of the base. This geometric precision shows an advanced understanding of spatial planning and proportion in the neolithic period.
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