Re: (sil)barry white | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Littlestone Oct 12, 2005 22:45:07

Replying to VenerableBottyBurp

>...I suspect that upturned turves were used continually as an outer skin throughout the building process, mainly to stop Silbury becoming a quagmire and melting like an ice cream when it rained.<

Very interesting VBB, very interesting. So, you reckon Silbury was turf-protected during its <i>construction</i>; but actually, why was Silbury constructed at all? You know, the Millennium Dome keeps springing to mind here and I wonder if Silbury wasn't built for some special reason and then allowed to just... mmm... mellow out? What if we're completely wrong about some of the mystical/astrological theories for constructing Silbury? What if, for example, we allow in the idea that it was built for just one special reason at just one special time? Everything before and afterwards then just 'pales' into insignificance... just like the Millennium Dome, or even the burial mound of a great leader perhaps (oops ;-)

Ishmael Oct 12, 2005 22:50:37

Replying to Littlestone

It could have been an inter-tribal olympics type competition.
The Malborough crew started it and the Marden crew did better then the Avebury lot took the piss!
End of competition.
"Right lads we did the mud pile fing wot now? How about these stones?....)

VenerableBottyBurp Oct 13, 2005 10:40:22

Replying to Littlestone

As I said it is a personal view, and while I accept it could be wrong I rather like the idea that they were so clever they worked out how to preserve clean water. Not just for drinking, bathing, and enough to make lemonade for the annual olympics, but the incidence of spina bifida was massively high in this period in this region (see Don Brothwell, the archaeo of disease), and a pool of clean water would have been a major benefit for these people too.

This could all be bollux of course !

VBB

PS Yes it was a hydrologist Ish' now you mention it.