Avebury’s Standing Stones Align with Time
By Darby Patterson


I hadn’t planned to visit Avebury on the most auspicious day of its year but there I was, on a sun
drenched dawn of the Summer Solstice. This very ancient World Heritage Site is older than the
more well known Stonehenge and, I might add, more accessible.

Across the great swath of verdant green and along packed dirt pathways, people wandered
freely. They sat in the grass, leaning against Neolithic standing stones as sheep grazed,
undisturbed by human company.  Many of the guests had spent the night at Avebury, awaiting
the rising sun and the spark of imagination that might transport them far back in time. Waiting
for the moment when the sun would strike the standing stones of Avebury and cast shadows as
they have for more than 4500 years. Imagining they were the ancient people worshiping the
forces of nature that framed the sky so perfectly at just this time of year.
As an American, the mostly
young people looked quite
familiar to me. Dressed in tie
die cotton shirts and
dresses, with flowers in their
hair and sandals on their feet
these New Age believers
would have been found in
Haight Ashbury a few
decades ago.  The beauty of
their youth was a fitting ode
to the sacred place they’d
come to experience.

At the same time I was struck
by the contrast of this
experience. In America our
monuments are fenced off,
paths restricted, treasures
guarded by the sharp eyes
of security personnel.
Here in Avebury a gentleman who was himself somewhat ancient wore a blue blazer and talked
modestly about his role as security detail – a job he did as he tended to other duties in the
village. People strolled unimpeded by barriers throughout the ancient site, touching, some
kissing, the magnificent standing stones. For such behavior in the U.S. we would be
unceremoniously removed from the site.

A Human Triumph over Time
Avebury is in the southern part of England, off the beaten path and near quiet villages that live
peacefully amid the ghosts of Neolithic man and woman. Because these early human groups
worshiped the many forces of nature, it continues to draw the attention of people dabbling in
the mystical, spiritual and alternative beliefs.  But there is no need to delve in Druidism or
Paganism to appreciate the singular experience of roaming this unique World Heritage site.

Picture a large circle of 98 stones - about a mile in circumference, erected on a mound with a
deep ditch along its inner rim. Today, only 27 stones remain. There are four openings to the
circle at the primary compass points. Inside the circle are two more circles, each had about 30
standing stones and just a handful remain. The stones were destroyed over time as Christians
in about 1100 sought to demolish Pagan worship, and as nearby 17th century villages looked
for a convenient source of building material.

In 2003, a geophysical survey by the National Trust made a remarkable discovery. Near stones
that were missing entirely, they found buried megaliths. At least 15 of the great stones lay
under mounds of earth inside the circle. Using computer imagery, researchers hope to
reconstruct just where each stone once stood before it was toppled and left to time.

The construction of Avebury required centuries of labor. With the lifespan of Neolithic peoples
estimated at 40 years, the baton of responsibility for the enormous project was passed through
many generations. Over the span of 600 years or so, the vision and passion persevered until
one day, Avebury was Britain’s greatest monument – some people believe it to be the foremost
Neolithic site in all of Europe.
In its present form, Avebury remains
breathtaking and mind-bending.
Many of the standing stones were
moved to the site from more than two
miles away. Each weighing 40 tons
and more, it remains a mystery how
the early architects, and their
minions, minus the invention of the
wheel, moved the stones to the
sacred site. The sarsen stones are
estimated to range from nine to
twenty feet tall. Somehow, over the
centuries, early Britons quarried,
chipped, moved and erected some
200,000 tons of rock.
Although there are several theories about the mechanics of this phenomenal accomplishment,
standing in the spell of Avebury, such academic quandaries seem irrelevant. It is simply a
tribute to the ingenuity of humankind.

Avebury’s Real Magic
Although much of what was once a central point of worship for England’s earliest inhabitants
has been destroyed, enough remains at Avebury to spark the imagination and stir the soul.
That was certainly apparent on Summer Solstice as I watched dreamy eyed youngsters roam
the wide open site. Occasionally, someone played a tune on a flute and filled the soft air with
music. On the top of a knoll, framed by the bright azure sky a man and woman, both in
business attire, embraced. The sheep turned their backs on them.

How the builders and visionaries of Avebury used the site continues to be debated. There is a
belief (and evidence) of astronomical alignment, although it is not as clear as the alignment of
Stonehenge with the sun, moon and stars. A small part of the great pleasure of spending a few
hours at Avebury is pondering such questions and just letting the mind wander where it will.

Avebury is just 90 miles from London, yet visually and spiritually a world away. There are tours
available to this Wiltshire County site but I’d suggest that Avebury is best enjoyed quietly,
perhaps during the off-season or on weekdays. Time shifts at Avebury and once on that
sacred ground there is much to see, to ponder and experience.
Reprint permission: You are free to reprint this article with attribution to the author
and a link to www.darbyassociates.net. Kindly CONTACT US and let us know of your
intent. Please do not use the photos. You can find free photos at wikicommons. com
The standing Stones case long afternoon shadows
Photo by John Nuttal,
from  http://commons.wikimedia.org
Avebury with stones and village in the background.
Photo courtesy of: http://commons.wikimedia.org
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