Silbury Hill

Silbury Hill is a prehistoric artificial chalk mound near Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire [1]. At 39.3 metres high, the hill is the tallest and second largest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe and one of the largest in the world; it is similar in volume to contemporary Egyptian pyramids [1]. Silbury Hill is part of the complex of Neolithic monuments around Avebury, which includes the Avebury Ring and West Kennet Long Barrow [1]. The mound is composed mainly of chalk and clay excavated from the surrounding area and stands 39.3 metres high and covers about 2 hectares [1]. The hill was constructed in several stages between c. 2400 and 2300 BC and displays immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources [1]. Few prehistoric artifacts have been found on Silbury Hill: at its core there is only clay, flints, turf, moss, topsoil, gravel, freshwater shells, mistletoe, oak, hazel, sarsen stones, ox bones, and antler tines [1].