Re: Silbury Hill - Dr Brown from EH writes | Forum

BlueGloves Apr 25, 2004 08:59:14

Replying to nigelswift

One thing I've seen, in my little valley, is the profile of a natural drumlin, which can be seen from throughout the valley, being copied in a pile of collected stone, as a cairn. There was a general viewing point of maybe an eighth of a mile by an eighth of a mile where the profile of the little hill, the cairn, and the big hill, the drumlin, were the same. This area is full of simple cupmarked stones and may have been a gathering area - it has a full view of the sunsets. Sadly the cairn has now been bulldozed and it's the only example of 'hill emulation' that I had.

FourWinds Apr 25, 2004 09:07:41

Replying to BlueGloves

I see this quite a lot. However, I am always very cautious about it because of settlement in the cairn material.

It seems common enough to have been a genuine aim of the builders though.

nigelswift Apr 25, 2004 09:34:45

Replying to BlueGloves

"There was a general viewing point of maybe an eighth of a mile by an eighth of a mile where the profile of the little hill, the cairn, and the big hill, the drumlin, were the same."

I hereby coin the phrase "reverse viewshed" for that viewing area. It's a concept that ought to be studied, but isn't, so far as I know.
I have intended if I ever get round to it, to try to plot a reverse viewshed for Silbury. Starting with the hypothesis that as seen from Avebury South circle Silbury just peeping over Waden might be a deliberate effect, and the further assumption that if so, they'd intended it to be for a particular spot, you could plot all the points where it's just not visible, and if that formed an arc that was centred on the obelisk, for instance, it would be strong evidence to suggest it was deliberate.

Stone Rowing it ain't, but it amuses me.

Silbury Hill — Dr Brown from EH writes