Avebury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Avebury * |
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| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iii |
| Reference | 373 |
| Region ** | British Isles |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1986 (10th Session) |
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Avebury is home to the largest ancient monument in Great Britain. It includes a huge henge, several stone circles, stone avenues, and burial mounds. The main henge and stone circle surround the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, England.
Avebury is one of Europe's best and biggest Neolithic monuments. It is about 5,000 years old. This makes it older than the stone parts of Stonehenge, which is about 32 kilometers (20 miles) south. Even so, both monuments were built by people from the same ancient culture.
Avebury is located between the towns of Marlborough and Calne. It is just off the main A4 road. Avebury is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a World Heritage Site, and a National Trust property.
On the World Heritage list, Avebury and Stonehenge are grouped together. They are listed as 'Avebury, Stonehenge and Associated Sites'. However, it's important to remember that Stonehenge is a different site. It was also built at a different time.
Contents
What is the Avebury Monument?
The Avebury monument is mostly made of earthworks. These are known as the dykes. They include a very large ditch and an outer bank, forming a henge. A henge is a special type of circular earthwork.
How Big is the Avebury Henge?
The henge is not perfectly round. It measures about 420 meters (460 yards) across. Other similar sites from that time are only a quarter of Avebury's size. The ditch itself was 21 meters (69 feet) wide and 11 meters (36 feet) deep. Scientists have found that the ditch was filled in around 3300 to 2630 BC.
The Great Outer Stone Circle
Inside the henge is a huge outer stone circle. This is one of Europe's largest stone circles. It measures about 331.6 meters (1088 feet) across. This makes it Britain's biggest stone circle. It was built either at the same time as the earthworks or a few centuries later.
Originally, there were 98 sarsen standing stones. Some of these stones weighed more than 40 tons. The stones were tall, from 3.6 to 4.2 meters (12 to 14 feet) high. Scientists found that the holes for two of the stones were dug between 2900 and 2600 BC.
The Inner Stone Circles
Closer to the center of the monument are two more stone circles. These are separate from the outer circle.
The Northern Inner Ring
The northern inner ring is 98 meters (322 feet) across. Only two of its four original standing stones are still upright. In the middle of this circle, there was a cove. A cove is a group of three stones, and its entrance faced northeast.
The Southern Inner Ring
The southern inner ring was 108 meters (354 feet) across. Sadly, it was destroyed in the 1700s. Parts of its original shape now lie under the village buildings. A single, very large stone, 5.5 meters (18 feet) high, stood in its center. There was also a line of smaller stones.
Stone Avenues and Other Features
The West Kennet Avenue is a path made of paired stones. It leads from the southeastern entrance of the henge. There are also signs of a second path, the Beckhampton Avenue. This path leads out from the western entrance.
Scientists have used special tools to study the ground. These studies suggest that a wooden circle once stood in the northeast part of the outer stone circle. This wooden circle had two rings. However, this idea still needs to be confirmed by digging in the ground. You can also see a ploughed burial mound from the air in the northwest area.
The henge had four entrances. Two were on a north-south line, and two were on an east-west line.
See also
Images for kids
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Aerial photo of the site and village
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LIDAR topography, showing the shape of the land
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The north-west part of Avebury
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Part of the outer ditch
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Part of the Outer Circle
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A drawing of what Avebury might have looked like originally. It was published in a Swedish encyclopedia.
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A drawing by William Stukeley showing stones being broken up by fire
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The Barber Stone
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The Barn Gallery at the Alexander Keiller Museum
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West Kennet Avenue
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Stones 7, 8 & 9 of the Great Circle
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The stone avenue
In Spanish: Avebury para niños
