Avebury

" "

Avebury is one of Europe's largest prehistoric sites. Found approximately 20 miles north of Stonehenge, it was constructed around the year 2600 BC and is today part of the larger Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites. This larger collection of sites has collectively been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and gets tens of thousands of visitors every year, and while it may not be as iconic as the Stonehenge images travelers see, it's still more than worth a visit for its own sake.

The Avebury historical site calls the village of Avebury home. This village, in turn, is found in Wiltshire County, England. The site is a well-known tourist attraction, and there are several reasons for this. One of these reasons is the fact that it features the largest stone circle found on the European continent. The main Avebury Stone Circle, called the Outer Stone Circle, has a diameter of more than 1,000 feet. When it was created, more than 98 sarsen stones marked the circle's perimeter. These stones were erected and left in a standing position, adding a most dramatic effect.

The main Avebury Stone Circle encloses two smaller stone circles, and surrounding it all is a large circular bank. The bank has a more than 460-yard diameter, making it far larger than similar sites that date from the same era. All considered, the entire Avebury site covers approximately 28 acres and contains more than 100 stones. Some of the stones weigh around 50 tons, so it's impressive to imagine just how much work went into standing them up when the site was originally constructed. After all, big, heavy machinery that could move mountains simply wasn't available in Neolithic times. As for the reason that Avebury was created, that remains largely unknown. Many scholars believe that religion and ceremonial purposes were driving forces behind the construction.