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tiompan T
tiompan Sep 2, 2012 10:41:37
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
Putting aside the rights and wrongs of climbing Silbury, I have to disagree with both The Eternal and Sanctuary when they say (to paraphrase) the view from the top is great and helps put the monument within its landscape. The view from the top isn’t that great actually because you can’t see much further than the downs immediately surrounding the monument. There’s a much better view of both Silbury and the surrounding landscape from the top of Waden Hill – from there the monument is truly in the landscape (ditto the views from the Sanctuary and Windmill Hill).

I agree with Sanctuary on the point he makes however that, “...the builders of the Complex no doubt looked down from [the top] at some stage to admire much of what they had accomplished with great pride.” (and for that reason have always believed that the top was always flat though of course not as flat as now).

What happened after completion however is maybe the interesting bit; was it reserved for special ceremonies with only an elite few allowed access, was it open to all at any time, or was it a combination of both when it was out of bounds to most people most of the time but opened up a few times a year for special occasions.

Who knows (and as always it’s fun to speculate) but I think we can be pretty sure of one thing (already outlined in JC’s the Game of Silbury) it was constructed to be seen (and marvelled at?) from many different view points.

One spot in the Palisaded enclosure gives a fine view of a sun roll .

M moss
moss Sep 2, 2012 11:02:17
Replying to tiompan

And then there is Paul Devereux and 'sightlines'

"observes that Silbury and its surrounding monuments appear to have been designed with a system of inter-related sightlines, focusing on the step several metres below the summit. From various surrounding barrows and from Avebury, the step aligns with hills on the horizon behind Silbury, or with the hills in front of Silbury, leaving only the topmost part visible. In the latter case, Devereux hypothesises that ripe cereal crops grown on the intervening hill would perfectly cover the upper portion of Silbury, with the top of the corn and the top of Silbury coinciding."

it is a wiki quote; though of course if it is a Saxon adjustment step for fortification the theory goes out the window....

T tiompan
tiompan Sep 2, 2012 11:05:20
Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:
Littlestone wrote:
Putting aside the rights and wrongs of climbing Silbury, I have to disagree with both The Eternal and Sanctuary when they say (to paraphrase) the view from the top is great and helps put the monument within its landscape. The view from the top isn’t that great actually because you can’t see much further than the downs immediately surrounding the monument. There’s a much better view of both Silbury and the surrounding landscape from the top of Waden Hill – from there the monument is truly in the landscape (ditto the views from the Sanctuary and Windmill Hill).

I agree with Sanctuary on the point he makes however that, “...the builders of the Complex no doubt looked down from [the top] at some stage to admire much of what they had accomplished with great pride.” (and for that reason have always believed that the top was always flat though of course not as flat as now).

What happened after completion however is maybe the interesting bit; was it reserved for special ceremonies with only an elite few allowed access, was it open to all at any time, or was it a combination of both when it was out of bounds to most people most of the time but opened up a few times a year for special occasions.

Who knows (and as always it’s fun to speculate) but I think we can be pretty sure of one thing (already outlined in JC’s the Game of Silbury) it was constructed to be seen (and marvelled at?) from many different view points.

One spot in the Palisaded enclosure gives a fine view of a sun roll .
I should have added no suggestion of intentionality .

L Littlestone
Littlestone Sep 2, 2012 15:34:17
Replying to tiompan

Given that the structure is visible from so many viewpoints, how easy (or difficult) would it have been to work out the right spot to build it (assuming its position was worked out and the ‘multiple viewpoint effect’ didn’t just happen by accident). It can be seen from as far away (the furthest point?) as Winterbourne Bassett, from within the Avebury circle and from so many other vantage points both near and far. That really is an extraordinary achievement when you think about it.