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Avebury

Developments at Avebury

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Nov 25, 2011 07:42:52
Replying to hedgeling

hedgeling wrote:
Maybe, but would take some detective work to find out, if records do exsist. What date is the church? Pewsey church has got sarsen stones as foundations. Anyway it is a miracle so much of avebury survived.
Your post also made me consider the amount of 'upkeep' the Complex would have required when it was in 'use' hedgeling. It must have been a 24/7 job keeping it up together. IF the bank and ditch around the Great Circle and Silbury were purposely kept as chalk and green free as some believe, that alone must have been an ongoing job for sure.

V VBB
VBB Nov 25, 2011 08:40:34
Replying to Sanctuary

Sanctuary wrote:
hedgeling wrote:
Maybe, but would take some detective work to find out, if records do exsist. What date is the church? Pewsey church has got sarsen stones as foundations. Anyway it is a miracle so much of avebury survived.
Your post also made me consider the amount of 'upkeep' the Complex would have required when it was in 'use' hedgeling. It must have been a 24/7 job keeping it up together. IF the bank and ditch around the Great Circle and Silbury were purposely kept as chalk and green free as some believe, that alone must have been an ongoing job for sure.
I recall Fred Flintsone wheeling a bird that cut the grass.

H hedgeling
hedgeling Dec 12, 2011 18:35:30
Replying to Sanctuary

The question that everyone always asks is why is the ditch on the inside? It cant be defensive so must be a sacred site. The answer to this riddle is in part your referral to resources. There are two sorts of walls, barrier. That being manned and unmanned. If the barrier is manned like a pallisade then it would require a lot of resources in maintance and to defend them, but it does make sense to have an exterior ditch, to slow down the enemy whilst shooting him down. If an unmanned barrier like a hedge (and there is plenty of evidence for anchient boundary hedges) is to be used, as easy to maintain and does not need large numbers to defend. Then you have the central area with the standing stones for cover as you shoot the enemy trying to break through the hedge and negotiate the ditch. If this theory is applied to the Wansdyke you have outer defenses for avebury as well.