Avebury

Avebury, small prehistoric village in Wiltshire county in southern England. Avebury is contained within part of one of the largest Neolithic monuments of Europe. The construction of Avebury began near the close of the Neolithic Age, and the monument was probably complete by about 2000 bc. The monument is a more or less circular area, similar to an amphitheater, defined by a ditch and an outer bank. The height from the crest of the bank to the floor of the cleared ditch is about 15 m (50 ft). Defining the margin of the area enclosed by the amphitheater are the remains of a circle, some 340 m (1,115 ft) in diameter, constructed of upright sarsen stones (large sandstone blocks). Within the great circle are traces of two smaller ones. Remains of a double avenue of sarsen monoliths lead from the south to an opening in the Avebury monument. This double avenue originally connected the Avebury circles with the concentric circles on Overton Hill, located 2.4 km (1.5 mi) away. See also Neolithic Art.