[Stones] silbury to be reopened

[Tim P]

  Tunnel to re-open at mystery hill
* Engineers are to re-open a tunnel that goes deep inside the ancient 
monument of Silbury Hill in Wiltshire. *

The tunnel, dug in 1968, was the last made over many centuries by 
archaeologists exploring the site.

Engineers are planning to stabilise the 5,000-year-old structure, which 
is believed to be the world's largest man-made prehistoric mound.

Archaeologists will also try to unlock the site's ancient secrets and 
find out how, why and when it was built.

Earlier this year, archaeologists found traces of a Roman settlement at 
the landmark.

English Heritage, which is conducting the stabilising work, believes 
there was a Roman community at Silbury Hill about 2,000 years ago. It 
says the site may have been a sacred place of pilgrimage.

The 130ft Neolithic mound near Avebury - one of Europe's largest 
prehistoric monuments - is thought to have been created some 3,000 years 
earlier.

Heavy rains in May 2000 caused substantial damage to the hill, with the 
collapse of an 18th century shaft.

Parts of the ancient site are thought to be collapsing because of the 
tunnels dug by archaeologists over many centuries.

After prising open the tunnel's sealed door on Friday, engineers are 
expected to spend four months, filling the tunnels with hundreds of 
cubic tonnes of chalk to stabilise the structure.

Archaeologists will also be going into the hill, hoping that modern 
science can solve the mystery of why the hill was built in the first place.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/wiltshire/6645367.stm

Published: 2007/05/11 02:11:31 GMT

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