West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill in the distance, Avebury, Wiltshire.Perched high on a rid
West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill in the distance, Avebury, Wiltshire. Perched high on a ridge looking down on Silbury Hill and the ancient cluster of monuments at Avebury is the Neolithic long barrow of West Kennet, one of the largest and most impressive barrow tombs in England. The barrow was built about 3650 BC, and used for only a short period of time as a burial site. Like most similar barrows, West Kennet was a communal site, not a memorial to a single important person. The remains of 46-50 people have been found in chambers built into the mound, which was in use for about 1000 years before the chambers were sealed and the barrow closed. Grave goods were found with the skeletons, including bits of pottery, beads, a stone knife, and other stone tools. Most of these goods date to between 3000 and 2600 BC. Around 2000 BC the tomb was sealed, and the central passage was filled with rubble and earth. The forecourt was blocked with sarsen boulders and a false upright made from two large sarsen stones. Finally, three huge sarsen stones were set up to block the entrance area. The barrow was made of sarsen stones and chalk rubble. The main entrance is in the east, with a central passage leading 18 metres to 5 small burial chambers, 2 on each side and one at the end. The entrance is through a semi-circular forecourt with a front of upright sarsen stones on a north-south axis. There were originally ditches all around the barrow but most of these have been destroyed by ploughing. The barrow is covered in turf, but it would originally have been covered solely in white chalk, so it would have stood out like a beacon on the top of the hill, and been visible for quite some distance away. It almost certainly formed a part of a vast ceremonial landscape in Avebury area. There is a small holy well at the base of the hill, called Swallowhead Springs, which is one of the sources of the River Kennet. (presso Avebury, Wiltshire) -- source link