[Stones] silbury to be reopened

[Ric]

well done - at last a decent back-fill and fond
farewell McD polystyrene

looking forward to any new information relating to the
physical construction of the hill - which some have
suggested started out as a stone circle?

however, regarding "modern 
> science can solve the mystery of why the hill was
> built in the first place" ~ i have my doubts?

;)

thanks,

Ric


--- Tim P <thehermitoftillywhim at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:

>   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
> 
> © BBC MMVII