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 Head To Head The Modern Antiquarian The Thornborough Henges Forum | Start a topic | Search |
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| It is my opinion that Thornborough Henges is the largest ritual site in Britain. My reason for saying this, since onther sites could also fit the same bill are as follows: Largest of course can mean a number of things, and I'd like to suggest that we are talking here with regards to the one that entertained most people during ceremonies in a single visit. Thornborough Henges are three hanges that were cuilt at the same time and to the best of our knowledge they were built on the same alignment and presumably to celebrate the same event. It is therefore reasonable to assume that they will have been used simultaneously. If we equate the size of the henge to having a relationship with the number of people using the complex at ceremonial times, then the viewing area created at Thornborough - 3 x 240-260m diameter, is far larger than any other single ritual site. Other henge complexes in Britain, appear to have components built at different periods, initially a hange, then an avenue, then another henge etc, they give the impression of ritual centres that developed over time. This is very different to what is seen at Thornborough, where there is a simultaneous building not just of the three henges at Thornborough, but also of the other henges in that region - Nunwick, Cana and Hutton Moor. What can be suggested, surely, is that whilst almost everywhere else in Britain, sacred sites that we see today are the product of perhaps a thousand years of gradual development, Thornborough and the "Sacred Vale" of Mowbray saw a single grand design - the creation of a twenty mile long ritual complex as part of single grand plan - Each component of which ranks as highly as most in the British Isles - these are the largest truly circular henges for example. Stonehenge for example appears to have first been built as a henge, later features being added, including the building of Woodhenge, Durrington Walls and the stones. It is difficult to argue that these structures were used as part of the same ritual, but were probably added at later times to prehaps include other ritual activities. It is for this reason that I suggest that Thornborough was the largest ritual site in Britain. It could be argused that Priddy may be the only other site to contend with Thornborough along these lines, however, whilst all the henges of the Sacred Vale were re-furbished some 500 years after they were first formed (this reduced the henges to their present day size) and each had periodic repair works done between times. Priddy may have been abandonned during it's initial construction. Sorry for the use of the r-word, but what the hell! Reply | with quote | Posted by BrigantesNation 1st March 2004ce 11:15 |
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