Archaeologists have begun a major dig to unearth the hidden mysteries of a buried ancient stone circle site that is ten times bigger than Stonehenge.
The enormous 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain’s largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
English Heritage is carrying out a six-week dig hoping to reveal the secrets behind the giant henge which has baffled historians for centuries.
Most of the Neolithic henge has been destroyed over the years due to farming and erosion but minor excavations in 41 years ago estimate the site to between 2,000 and 2,400BC.
Archaeologists are due to begin digging at the 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire
Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings.
Although the henge no longer has its vast stone circle it has a large puzzling sunken circular feature which is almost unheard of at Neolithic sites.
A team of 15 archaeologists and historians believe the dig could show the ancient site is even more significant than both Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles.
Archaeologist Jim Leary, 34, said: ‘Virtually nothing is known about this vast circle. We are starting from point zero.
‘Marden Henge deserves to be understood more partly because of its size, but also due to its proximity to the more famous stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge.
‘The relationship between the latter two sites – chronology of their construction, whether it is built by the same people, how they were used, is of immense interest.
‘How Marden relates to them is another layer of interest which we want to study.
‘We are potentially looking at a much more intricate system of Neolithic ritual sites in this part of the world than we previously thought.
‘The study of Prehistory is entering a very exciting phase with lots of fascinating research and dating techniques emerging.
‘The stunning discovery of Neolithic houses at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge a few years’ ago, for example, has really turned things on its head.
‘We certainly hope that this excavation will bring more pieces of the puzzle to light.’
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Marden Henge has lost its stone circle but scientists are confident they will find some remnant of the ancient circle beneath the surface
The dig is the culmination of a two year English Heritage project including aerial, topographic and geophysical surveys.
It has not been touched since an investigation in 1969 by Professor Geoffrey Wainwright which dated the henge from fragments of deer antler found in the area.
Marden Henge is situated near to the source of the River Avon, in Marden, north of Devizes, between Avebury and Stonehenge and close to ancient Silbury Hill.
The henge comprises a well-preserved bank covering 10.5 hectares and an internal ditch.
Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury or Castlerigg, in Cumbria, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving stone monuments.
All that has remained is the evidence of a huge mound similar to a smaller at the centre of the henge, which collapsed in 1806 and was completely levelled by 1817.
Most experts now believe that significant ceremonial or ritual activity occurred within the ditches.
Archaeologists aim to find remnants of the Neolithic age within the remains of the mound.
The entire site is around 15 hectares and set within surrounding fields covering 40 hectares.
The dig began on Monday this week and will continue until August.
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All over the world the evidence of incredible artifacts are littered like huge signposts of past accomplishment.
We know these structures and artifacts as megalithic, out of place artifacts.
If anything is said about them at all, it is invariably fabrication by simple definition, there is no way to know.
Although spoken with authority, science assigns construction methods and functionality to these places as though they knew explicitly what our distant ancestors (if indeed they were our ancestors), knew or what motivated them to do what they did.
The fact of the matter is… they don’t know and so they make things up.
I am all for taking a good guess at anything, if I had an education this would be called expressing a considered opinion, if I was even more educated this would become a thesis… beyond that my opinion would become accepted fact.
What is wrong with just saying “We don’t know, but hope to some day?”
The myriad of surviving megalithic structures usually have a few things in common, they are beyond today’s methods of construction, regardless of pat answers from experts, this fact cannot be denied. The other aspect concerns utilization and functionality, as much as we can surmise why these artifacts were created, we cannot ever know the intention of them.
If they were simple to construct at the time, then the purpose of them may have been quite banal, since we see them as an impossible construct we are apt to ascribe correspondingly great purposes for them. At the end of the day though, “We do not know!”
In a few thousand years archeologist will be pondering why we in 2010 decided to release an unstoppable world destroying flow of oil and gases from the Gulf of Mexico, either that or they will be showing slides of how a natural event occurred which later started a new ice age. In any event it is doubtful they will arrive at the truth which quite simply was sanctioned insanity for fleeting wealth and riches for a few at the expense of everyone on the planet.
The truth is no longer etched on stone, it is contained in the flimsiest medium ever created, digital bits and bytes which will not survive anything, they will also conclude we were an age without communication based on findings, nothing.
A recent case is illustrated here…
Archaeologists begin dig on buried stone circle TEN times bigger than Stonehenge
Archaeologists have begun a major dig to unearth the hidden mysteries of a buried ancient stone circle site that is ten times bigger than Stonehenge.
The enormous 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain’s largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
English Heritage is carrying out a six-week dig hoping to reveal the secrets behind the giant henge which has baffled historians for centuries.
Before the first shovel hits the dirt we are told…
Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings.
Why dig then?
If there is a situational awareness component to this post… it is to realize the debilitating effect of constant lies spoken with authority. Acceptance of the lie prevents further inclination to learn. The lie makes a “done deal” of a topic and the truth contained within it disappears slowly into the mists of time.
Nicholas
Tour Guide
Accurate recording of sites is essential for future interpretation.And to make interim assessments of what was and was not there. Modern archaeology has learned from its mistakes on over interpretation but the public do need something to hang onto as long as it comes with the proviso that its a current – albeit intelligent – guess. The public do after all pay the bills.