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Silbury Hill

The Silbury Game

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FurryDan F
FurryDan Jun 18, 2001 15:50:47

I was watching TMA, last nite, in order to psyche myself up for an impending visit to Orkney...during the Avebury segment; when walking along the Ridgeway south, Silbury appears to ride along the back Waden hill. Now, would Waden hill always been tree or shrub free? Are there any enviromental archaeologists who would know what was going on on Waden Hill 5000 years ago? If there were trees ( I think there is evidence to show that the area around Avebury was largely uncultivated) the Silbury Game wouldn't have worked. Maybe it was too windy on top of Waden hill, and there was just scrubland. Anyone shed any clues on this potentially Silburygame destroying point?
Danxxxxxxxxxx

A Arthur
Arthur Jun 18, 2001 18:41:41
Replying to FurryDan

I believe there is evidence that trees were cleared for farming in this area of Wiltshire very early on. I'll have to dig through some of my books to find where I read it but it could have been the Avebury Cycle.

V Vox Phantom
Vox Phantom Jun 20, 2001 18:32:52
Replying to FurryDan

I'm no expert, but I do also know that it takes a lot of logs to move an enourmous stone from where it is quarried to where it is set up, and that neolithic peoples frequently de-forested huge areas in order to make their projects.

Easter Island is a wonderful case study of a people destroying their entire environment, ecologically, in the name of their art. The island was once covered with trees, and is now practically barren...