There are known knowns; there are things we know we know, such as the existence of the largest artificial mound in Europe, Silbury Hill, located in what has been described as a ‘ritual landscape’ consisting of evidence of prehistoric activity on Windmill Hill, the Avebury henge surrounded by numerous burial sites; those that survived the plough still visible as tumuli and long barrows, including a well-known chambered example at West Kennet and its larger unexcavated sibling off to the south-east. Vestigial remains of avenues of sarsen stones lead to places where there were once monuments… but to what? The resident elephantine known unknown. And then there are the unknown unknowns…
The Adam & Eve stones, all that still stands of the Beckhampton Avenue – Photo: Rob Irving.
At 11 on Sunday morning, historian Brian Edwards is waiting outside the Waggon & Horses pub, just along the A4 from Silbury Hill. We’d never met before; he told me he’d come to check me out… to see what I’m about. After a little more conversation it became apparent to me that he’s a veritable librarian of what I didn’t know I didn’t know. Brian tantalizingly suggested that my geophysical survey of the ground between West Kennet long barrow and Swallowhead Spring may have disclosed something other than what I thought it had. We’ve been in communication about what this might be ever since. It’s public engagement of a sort. Further clues to mythologies that are still talked about and enacted in this area can be found in Brian’s excellent paper ‘Silbury Hill: Edward Drax and the excavations of 1776’, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Magazine, 103, (2010), pp. 257-269.
After a while, more people arrived and Brian had other matters to attend to. The theme of today’s known unknowns was ‘ley’ lines – straight and serpentine – so Leslie and I, Maria, Chris, Rupert and James set off on our adventure. The route taken was north via the Adam & Eve stones to Windmill Hill, southwards to Avebury for a swift half and a wander around the stones, continuing along the river valley to Silbury Hill and, in time for sunset, the West Kennet long barrow before returning to the pub for an evening meal. Maria is writing a more detailed response to the walk…
Avebury Avenue (2012) – Photo: Rob Irving. ‘These sort of works in my opinion have more simple grandeur, and strike with more religious admiration than the finest works of Greece and Rome; in my opinion there is the same comparison between them as between the finest dressed works of Mr Capability Brown and the great works of nature.’ Letter from Edward Drax to Lord Rivers, 1776. [‘Silbury Hill: Edward Drax and the excavations of 1776′, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Magazine, 103, (2010), pp. 257-269.]
Rob, Rupert and James on Windmill Hill – Photos: Leslie Glenn Damhus.
Leslie on Windmill Hill. Silbury Hill is visible in the middle distance, 1.8 miles away – Photo: Rob Irving.
‘At the point where the Beckhampton Avenue crosses the River Winterbourne, Silbury Hill can be seen with its summit platform exactly in line with the background southern horizon. Paradoxically for the remaining 70-80% of their length both the avenues’ courses are designed to obstruct all view of Silbury Hill.’ From Lionel Sims’ Entering, and Returning from, the Underworld: reconstituting Silbury Hill by combining a quantified landscape phenomenology with archaeoastronomy, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 15, 386-408 (2009) – Photo: Rob Irving.
Waden Hill – Photo: Rob Irving.
Silbury Hill (2012) – Photo: Rob Irving.
left to right: Chris, Maria and Rob at West Kennet long barrow – Photo: Leslie Glenn Damhus.
Sunset over West Kennet long barrow – Photo: Rob Irving.
Public Archaeology 2015 