Silbury Hill in Wiltshire rises high above the surrounding landscape and was thought to be entirely pre-historic, but new evidence suggests it might be partly much newer.
Silbury Hill is one of a number of popular tourist attractions in Wiltshire, which also include the world famous Stonehenge, Woodhenge and Avebury Stone Circle. The hill simply appears to rise from the relatively flat surrounding countryside and for years was believed to be the work of pre-historic probably Neolithic (5000 year old) man.
However post holes on top of the mound have been dated to the Anglo-Saxon period and suggest that a wooden fort like structure might have been built on top, probably to defend against the Vikings who might have used the nearby former Roman road to invade. The Anglo-Saxon’s were most likely also responsible for increasing the overall height of the structure, possibly as late as 1000AD, and creating the overall rounded shape.
More details about what was found and how it might have been constructed can be found on the BBC Silbury Hill page.
Wiltshire links:
Swindon tourist attractions (near Silbury Hill)
Hotels in Swindon
