Avebury, Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire, England
Avebury is a stone ring in Wiltshire that consists of a deep ditch, a tall outer bank, and several hundred large stones arranged in multiple circles. The monument covers about thirty-five acres and surrounds fields, paths, and parts of the village that shares its name.
The monument was built roughly between 2850 and 2200 BCE, when people began digging the ditch and hauling the stones from the nearby Marlborough Downs. After the Bronze Age ended, the structure fell into disuse, and during medieval times villagers toppled or buried many of the stones.
The site represents advanced engineering capabilities of Neolithic communities, demonstrating their understanding of geometry through precisely positioned megalithic structures and astronomical alignments.
The site can be entered at any time because public paths run through it and no admission fee is charged. A museum at the edge of the village displays finds from the area and explains the excavation work of recent decades.
Some stones carry small pits created by people who tried to break up the large blocks using hammers and fire. These marks show how difficult it was to damage or remove the hard rock.
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