Avebury Henge - the history books are wrong

In this video, I visit Avebury Henge and Stone Circle ... the largest in the world 🤩 Built and much altered during the Neolithic period, roughly between 2850 BC and 2200 BC, the henge survives as a huge circular bank and ditch, encircling an area that includes part of Avebury village. Within the henge is the largest stone circle in Britain - originally of about 100 stones - which in turn encloses two smaller stone circles.
The history books state it was built for ceremonial purposes, but they forget to take into account the geological data. If they did, they would have known that much of the area was under water at that time.
Thanks goes to Robert John Langdon @RobertJohnLangdon for his fascinating in-depth research and publications. Please spend a moment to check out his channel.
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SOFTWARE:
- Adobe Photoshop
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HARDWARE:
- DJI FPV
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- DJI Wireless Mic Transmitter
- Insta360 X3
- Rode Wireless Go Mic
- PolarPro Cinema Series Filter Vivid Collection
- PolarPro Vivid Filter Collection
- Freewell Long Exposure Series Filters

[@RobertJohnLangdon-author]

Yet another brilliant professional video (with even more VR animations) well done my friend) 😊

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks Bob, that really means a lot coming from the man himself 🙇‍♂ I couldn't have done this without your research and detailed knowledge of the area. Keep up the great work mate 👏

[@mikeballen]

Mario buildreps does any watch this guy very swift

[@cannyexplorer5357]

I’ve always preferred to visit Avebury than Stonehenge as it more visitor friendly. It has a better atmosphere too.

[@LamboPhoto]

I couldn't agree more. Stonhenge has become to commercialised over the years. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@barrywest2170]

Definitely agree with you Avebury is by far the better place to visit very hands on and friendly a really gentle energy which always leaves you feeling spiritually enriched

[@kristiangustafson4130]

I host American military people on courses in Wiltshire. They fixate on Stonehengs, but I send them to Avebury. Universally, they are blown away.

[@alanedwards9578]

I think it is crazy that at some time in the distant past, someone thought it was a good idea to put roads and buildings inside a prehistoric monument.

[@LamboPhoto]

Sadly, it's been happening for centuries. Most of Avebury, much like other sites, have been dismantled by local people to build houses. By the way, the A4, that runs through Avebury is the old Roman road, so we need to blame them 😉

[@gumshoe2273]

I know, right?

[@faragraf9380]

it wasn’t seen as prehistoric. It was something disturbing. It was bent with pagan culture and devil and superstition. People don’t want that old things, they didn’t saw anything advantageous.

[@alanedwards9578]

@@faragraf9380 Very enlightening perspective on what happened. Thank you!

[@brandyjean7015]

​@@faragraf9380and yet some of us, purposefully follow the old ways. Go figure.

[@ampgray]

The flooded landscape theory is a new one on me. That's a lot of water for a plateau elevated at hundreds of feet above sea level. I am also unaware of evidence for huts inside the site, especially in the centre of the solar circle where there was a very tall phallic needle stone several metres high. Also, the Swindon stone is not the biggest. It may be the biggest in the main circle, but the biggest on site is one of the Cove stones, which is potentially the largest megalith in Europe. Its the big one across the road from the pub as the road turns towards Swindon. Whereas the Swindon stone is the nearest stone to Swindon tens of metres further north. But despite a few moments I did enjoy this video. Water certainly plays its part as the flooding around Silbury Hill shows.

[@willempasterkamp862]

maybe it was more of a reed-moor capable of holding the water in the winter and slowly drying up during a hot summer. It was embedded in nature with forest all around. The idea that it was on a plain visible from miles away is wrong as the landscape is more hilly.

[@Bow1man5]

There was no signs of silt in the ditch bottom when excavated, surely there would have been if filled with water.

[@ampgray]

Yeah, I don't recall mention of any silt either. Which further throws doubt on this interesting but ultimately flawed theory.

[@merseyviking]

Agreed. As far as I recall, the area was more marshy than riverine. While the ditch being used for drainage is an interesting idea and holds some water (pun intended), I would be very surprised if it was in any way navigable. My spidey-sense tingled when he said phrases like "the history books will tell you..." and "it was undoubtedly a trading hub". Great drone photography for sure, but best leave off the definitive statements and "the history books are wrong" hyperbole.

[@user-lx3ce6ne8s]

The houses were built from some of the missing stones marked by an oblisk. The stones were heated up and then rapidly cooled and shattered. You can see the fire marks on the stones of the houses built inside the circle.

[@LamboPhoto]

Fascinating! I didn't know that, thank you! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@mikeballen]

Mario buildreps does any watch this guy very swift

[@jackgreene5663]

Should be realised that, being on chalk, when first built the bank was a gigantic shining white ring, and possibly regularly "scoured" to keep it white.

[@LamboPhoto]

It's an interesting idea, one I hadn't considered. Thanks for letting me know 🙂

[@kubhlaikhan2015]

Curious think about chalk - when you expose it a combination of sun and light rainfall makes it blinding. I worked on a site cut into the south Downs - two people had to go to hospital with temporary blindness and everyone else had to work in sunglasses. I'm not sure our ancestors would have though bare chalk was a good idea.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

It's all about entrance to the under world. Neolithic Bollocks.

[@howardchambers9679]

​@@kubhlaikhan2015the HSE wasn't running back then, that blinding ring would be seen from miles away, it's to astound the peasants! Imagine never seeing any structure taller than a two storey house and suddenly seeing a cathedral. It's power and control

[@kubhlaikhan2015]

@@howardchambers9679 I'm not convinced they went to all that trouble just to hypnotise a few peasants. I'm just saying that if the site was stripped to white chalk it wouldn't have been very usable for anything else. Not only does it blind you in sunlight, it also turns into unimaginably sticky mud after rain. That happened on our site too - after just a few steps the quantity glued to your boots would be so heavy you couldn't lift your feet up to walk. The whole site had to be covered in walkways but most work had to stop entirely util it dried out. Worst environment I've ever had to work in. If they stripped the turf to get to the chalk it was probably linked to something practical like pottery making.

[@JANN-JAPAN]

This video and commentary were fantastic! I went to Avebury in the summer of 2022. I loved it. But, I’m so pleased to see the overhead views. It’s a completely different perspective and I wish I had viewed your video before visiting Avebury.

[@kmehan5917]

Chris has truly outdone himself with his latest work, Avebury Henge. This remarkable piece of content showcases his exceptional professionalism, evident in the meticulous topic selection and thoughtful planning. The level of detail and research put into the subject matter is commendable, making it an engaging and informative experience. Avebury, a place steeped in history and mystery, is brilliantly brought to life through Chris's video. From the very beginning, it becomes clear that no stone was left unturned in capturing the essence of this ancient site. The visuals are captivating, offering breathtaking shots that showcase the grandeur and significance of Avebury. The accompanying music further enhances the overall experience. Carefully selected and masterfully integrated, the soundtrack beautifully complements the visuals, creating an atmosphere that draws the audience deeper into the narrative. The choice of music perfectly aligns with the historical significance of Avebury, establishing an emotional connection with viewers. Furthermore, the editing work in this video is nothing short of impressive. The seamless transitions between scenes, the well-paced progression, and the expertly crafted storytelling all contribute to the overall success of the video. Chris's attention to detail is evident throughout, as he skillfully weaves together the various elements to deliver a cohesive and engaging viewing experience. Overall, Chris's Avebury Henge stands as a testament to his talents as a content creator. The professionalism exhibited in every aspect, from topic selection to video production, is commendable. The extensive research, combined with the brilliant video, music, and editing, results in an outstanding final product. Chris's efforts are truly praiseworthy, and this video is a must-watch for anyone interested in history, archaeology, or simply seeking an enlightening and visually stunning experience. Well done, Chris!

[@LamboPhoto]

Wow, wow and wow. This has to be my most favourite comment ever! Thank you SO much for taking the time to provide this great feedback. As you can well imagine, it does take a lot of time to capture the footage - but it takes much more to edit it into something that 'tells a story'. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it ... but often it is a thankless task. And comments, such as yours, provides me the encouragement and motivation to continue. Whoever you are, wherever you are ... I thank you 🙇‍♂️

[@christopherbegley8755]

Chris looking good and glowing with intelligence, ya I'm poking funat,and same time plugging the good looking Paul Cook channel, hey these guys could a spectacular documentary on looking good and dressing like GQ, geological question, get it ?u know the fashion magazine gentleman's quarters?? It ain't funny unless you've read Paul Cook channel comments he he

[@annbrookens945]

@kmehan5917 : this is a publication-worthy review! I've never seen such a masterful review on ANY KZbin video. I agree with everything you said, but you have said it better than I ever could. Chris, you should absolutely print this off and frame it!

[@since_56]

Canals have to accurately follow the contours of land so the level of the water remains the same. Navigators will set the canal to specific number of feet above sea level for longer stretches. If they detour from the contour of the land they have to build tunnels, locks or viaducts.

[@daizyflower272]

Avebury circle is on the Ley line, or Michael and Mary currents. Starts in Norfolk and travels all the way to St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall and beyond to the French St Michael's Mount and carrying on.

[@adamseccombe7907]

Hi. You should fly your drone from Uffcott past Broad Hinton where the fields are flooded and showing so well. There is even flood to the north west of the henge itself. It’s amazing right now

[@LamboPhoto]

Do you mean fly from Uffcot to Averbury? If so that's 5 miles (8 km), so I wouldn't able to do that. Or do you mean take off from Uffcot and fly to the flooded fields nearby?

[@LamboPhoto]

Good shout, the whole place is flooded. x.com/lambourne_chris/status/1741920015836717080

[@jmegapixel7]

Probably the best documentary on Avebury I have ever watched ! I also live in Wiltshire and have traveled that main road many times. Such a mysterious place. Thank you for this video just brilliant 👏🏻

[@helenamcginty4920]

Last year a huge monunent was discovered near Huelva in S Spain. Over 500 megaliths arranged in a concentric arc (maybe there were more?)

[@davidcrane7397]

I've just discovered your channel - thank you KZbin algorithm (for once)! Fantastic shots and reconstructions of the historical landscape. Having said all that I'm not convinced about the trading centre theory - Avebury would have been on an island and that makes little sense to me. Also I'm not sure where that leaves other structures like Silbury Hill which looks like it would have been built in the water. However, what struck me in your initial LIDAR reconstruction is that there is plenty of high land around and, so far as I could see, none of the structures where positioned on it - so water would appear to be a definite factor in whatever was going on (but, as I said, not specifically for trading). Thanks again. Now to look at your other videos!

[@andymurray9811]

When you look at the circle it almost represents an ox bow lake. Now suppose that the waters weren't so high and inside the ox box lake there was a mound. someone worked out that the mound could accomodate a village and offer protection. You ask why throw the land out of the ditch, perhaps to ensure that the rising waters of a high tide were kept at bay and didn't sink the village. As the land around it sank under water it became a trading post out of necessity. Perhaps because more people came to live on the mound. As for the long barrows, they were for the dead. Depending on what time of year people died, they were buried to the east or the west. I have second idea on this - Perhaps they were always buried to the west but a great illness befell the village and those were left wouldn't desecrate the western barrow, so they built an eastern barrow instead. As for Silbury Hill, suppose it was a watch tower. I enjoyed your video, thanks for the ideas.

[@nickbrough8335]

It is a design feature of late neolithic/early bronze age stone circle design called a Henge. The built rather deep ditches and a ramparts on the outer bank (Stonehenge actually has a non-typical design). It appears to be designed that way to exclude the central place from everyday life. It is also been speculated that the rampart provides viewing access to those who are not important enough to be allowed into the religious space inside. The truth is no one knows what these monuments were designed this way in the UK. The interior space probably became a village later as it sat above the flood plain of the river and was dry all year round. I dont know about Avebury, but when built in a chalk landscape, the ramparts would have been white chalk rubble, unless covered with grass to stabilise the slope. With dedicated maintenance they could have remained this way for quite a long time in practice. If youre interested the YT channel "The Prehistory Guys" have an excellent documentary on Standing Stone monuments in the UK (plus some on those in France and Spain although stone circles seems to be very "british"). There is some evidence that the style of long barrow monument was imported into the UK by specific groups of European people (settlers or Trade). You can use the distribution of Stone Axes to demonstrate quite large Trading networks existed across Europe.

[@LamboPhoto]

Interesting stuff. Well, regardless of whether it was a trading station or a village, it's very unlikey they put all that effort in just for 'religious purposes'. Especially since it's predecessor, Windmill Hill (half a mile to the northwest) has been proven to be a trading station in the mesolithic. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@nickbrough8335]

@@LamboPhoto I think we're a bit too limited in out thinking. Of course there's a difference between what evidence shows and speculation. A medieval cathedral probably represented a similar level of community input and spending. In addition to religion, they were stars symbols for the local Bishop and Lord (plus their hangers on) and they became a place for local markets and fayres in the square in front. so far as I recall there isnt any evidence (high phosphate levels in the soil) that animals were enclosed there. There is quite a bit of evidence for burials, but not at a community wide level.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

Tides at Avebury?

[@MarlaBlair-ys2zu]

Great combination of geology and ancient building practices. Could do without some of the loud, dramatic music. The graphics and narrative speak for themselves. Thank you.

[@petertrei]

Very slick, professional video. However, I really think you need to give more explanation of your 'wide river' claim. Is this generally accepted? I had not heard it before, and I've been reading about and visiting the site for 50 years. Wouldn't that put many sites underwater at the time of their construction?

[@experimentalelemental92]

Same at Stanton Drew... neighbouring fields have steep ditches surrounding the stones. 1952/ Chew Valley Lake- Ancient Bronze Age site... Moreton & Stanton Drew both mentioned in Domesday Book. Artifacts removed during excavations & never available for public view. Church in Pensford on an Island beneath the viaduct. The Tump- Iron Age fort. Stone Henge- Avebury- Stanton Drew. Ace vid. Yes- all waterway canals.

[@sharonholdren7588]

Been there, done that 30 years ago. I still have goosebumps! Breath taking, awe inspiring, completely amazing.

[@LamboPhoto]

Wow, thanks so much. It's an awesome place, and I'm sure the drone video does do the scale of Avebury justice. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍

[@DWKThedogbreaths]

The most informative and watchable film about Avebury I've ever seen.

[@stephaniegarrett3246]

I enjoyed this and got more feel for it's original purpose than from any other description as yet. Thank you 🙏

[@ralphhofmeier8840]

the stones were already there for a long time and the folks back in time just settled around to worship what was lost…..

[@PeterWasted]

I'm not familiar with the notion of the ditch being filled with water. It raises some interesting questions. If it filled from a local river, why does the ditch need to be so deep? If the river was at that level, the ditch would be below the water table making the digging difficult and probably needing some form of water management not well known amongst neolithic people. Slope stability in saturated ground would be different than in dry. The banks at Avebury are pretty steep... Rivers have a tendency to flood. I wonder why the excavated spoil was used to form a bank, blocking external views rather than spread in the inner area to improve flood resistance.

[@Lousialee-hm3gu]

What a beautiful video, rich in history of the land. I really liked and enjoyed the reconstruction of how the landscape would have looked when the henge was in use. Thankyou.

[@celestenova777]

Incredible video with great filming. Fantastic to see how it might have looked and I never thought of it being like a moat. I uploaded a couple of videos one on Avebury and one on West Kennet barrow just with music, nothing as good as yours..lol..I climbed Silbury Hill years ago (now you are not allowed to) but couldn't believe how steep it was when you actually climb it but it makes for a great lookout over the surrounding area. Thanks for your work, a great watch, will have to catch up with your other vids!🌳🌾🦣 Edit : just to let you know the Wiltshire Womble recommended your video.

[@LamboPhoto]

Many thanks for such a lovely comment. It's feedback like this that make's it all worth it 😍 Yeah, Silbury Hill has been secured for a while now, understandable I guess. I've never had the pleasure to go to the top. Ah Mark recommended my vid? That's nice of him! He's got a really good channel, fair dos. All the best mate 👍

[@velvetindigonight]

Thought provoking especially the watery map of the landscape 2,000 odd years bc just before your conclusion........ reminded me other watery places and that boats were the easiest form of transport back then... Think of the travel between Ireland and Scotland and Scotland and Norway etc.,

[@TimothyLuke-sh6gl]

I have just found your channel! Excellent professional videos. Please keep them coming!

[@jhdee]

Another great video Chris. This is really well put together and totally immersive from start to finish. A fantastic mix of video, drone footage and VR giving us all a modern day view of an amazing site together with a very informative narration are the obvious highlights. However, this production involves much more - research, video editing, sound editing, drone pilot skills etc etc - making it truly a "one-man-band" masterpiece. Looking forward to the next one already.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks mate, that's great feeback 😍 Really happy that you enjoyed the film, and appreciate the effort behind it 👍

[@DocColVideo]

Another awsome production Chris using every means available to put forwardt your historical theories that challenge the more traditional ideas on the Henge's origin and purpose. Love the vlog style presentation and use of software to keep the viewer engrossed in the subject matter; including the drone footage of course. All amazing considering the "life stuff" issues your dealing with. Keep up the good work mate, it's truly inspirational 👌👏

[@LamboPhoto]

@@DocColVideo Thanks Col. Glad you liked it mate. I should have edited this 6 months ago, my bad. Thanks as always for your support 👍

[@RBWill1]

It is an interesting hypothesis and could make some sense. Visualisations and drone shots in the video are good. I guess my initial thoughts on seeing this are what else would the water levels affect. Like how was Silbury built around the same time in the middle of a flowing river and why? How did they get the stones to Avebury? Were watercraft back then big and robust enough to handle 30-70 ton stones? And lastly I wonder why bother to build the little island of Avebury and all the effort of the ditches if as the water levels show the whole site was on the tip of a natural island anyway. Guess it makes a more secure village / trading post but as you say it wasn’t intended as a defensive structure. I might have to read into it more as all that may have been answered by others

[@nickbrough8335]

There's a difference between the river valley being flooded (an estuary in effect) and the plain on which the River occasionally floods.

[@RBWill1]

@@nickbrough8335 which areas are you referring to?

[@nickbrough8335]

@@RBWill1 In the video. an extract from the local surface geology map is shown, showing the presence of alluvium. These are river deposits, either deposited within the river itself of on the flood plain, when the river floods. The river meanders across the river plain. In the reconstruction, it looked to me the it was the flood plain alluvial deposits which were colour blue. Unless it was a (tidal) estuary the flood plain would not be permanently flooded. In this case the ditch around the Henge monument would only flood occasionally as would the river valley close to Salisbury Hill. The frequency of flooding would require further study of the alluvial deposits to take cores to measure the layers in the deposits and to look for pollen and seeds to potentially date the layers as well as reconstruct the local climate and species mix , which determine the landscape fauna. In general dating terms, Stone circle moments tend to be quite late (no earlier than 3,100 BC altoough I'm not sure how accurate the dates are), where as the first farmers arrived around, 3,800 to 4,000 BC and we shouldn't forget the people who lived int eh area before then. Some neolithic sites seem to have an earlier original, although evidence varies. This site was built over several hundred tears in phases (again dating is somewhat uncertain). The video is correct, we tend to think about these sites based on what it looks like today rather than that they changed over time. The YT channel "The Prehistory guys" is a good source imo for evidence based reporting. They have a great film on UK neolithic and bronze age sites, which is great (IMO).

[@RBWill1]

@@nickbrough8335 with you now, thanks. Had been wondering similar regards brief flooding or permanent huge flow

[@LamboPhoto]

Windmill Hill, about half a mile to the north west, was the main place to go 1,000+ years before Avebury. But that's when the waterways were even higher following the post glacial melt. When these receded to Avebury, my guess is that is when they shut shop in Windmill Hill and setup shop in Avebury. I have a video on Windmill Hill too in case you want to dive deeper. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@clive.r1414]

Brilliant Chris, love the excellent photography and the aerial shots are super. Great use of lidar to explain the theory of an "inland port". i can only imagine the time took to edit it all. Well done and thank you.

[@LamboPhoto]

Clive! Really good to hear from you!! Hope you and bro are ok. I was saying to someone earlier about these vids, I've made a rod for my own back 😬 But still love adding the 'science' behind it, makes it more real to me. Any ways, sod the vid, keep in touch mate 👏👍

[@LamboPhoto]

P.S. miss you.

[@WiltshireMan]

Very interesting. I have never considered before the ditch could have been a moat. Great video, Thanks:)

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks, and you are more than welcome, thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@give_peas_a_chance]

This is excellent, and your theory of an inland port makes so much sense ! I love your videos.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thank you! It's not actually my theory, it's Robert John Langdon's theory, author of Prehistoric Britain. Full credit goes to him 👍

[@meerfisch]

Absolutely breathtaking photography. ❤

[@LamboPhoto]

Why thank you, very kind of you to say! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@mikeballen]

Mario buildreps does any watch this guy very swift

[@SHPR2013]

Great video and content. So according to your timeline during the construction of the bank and ditch phase of Avebury, the water table was so high that it swelled rivers to the height of the inner flat centre ground of the Henge?, only Avebury at present is 161m or 528 feet above sea level and Dogger Bank which disappeared around 5000BCE is at it's shallowest today 14m or 43 feet below sea level - what would stop the water flowing with gravity to the lower land first which would surely mean that Dogger Bank would have been flooded a lot sooner than the evidence dredged from the North Sea shows?, apologies for asking but it doesn't quite add up to me.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. As I have mentioned previously, I am no geologist, hydrologist or historian. I simply like history and photography. My video covers Robert John Langdon's hypothesis , not mine. I found it interesting and thought it would make good entertainment and offer a different view point than the main stream history books. Robert shares indepth evidence to support his hypothesis, not just on post glacial flooding (link below), but also Avebury, Stonehenge and many other interesting areas. I've covered a few of these topics myself in videos on my channel; Wansdyke, Devil's Den and now Avebury. As you would have seen in my video(s), I have used phrases such as 'may have looked like this', as no-one knows entirely what happened. But if nothing else, this video has stimulated a lot of discussion, which is always good. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and thanks also for watching - hope to see you back here soon 🙂 post-glacial-hypothesis.uk/tpgh_britain_rivers

[@altair8598]

I thought it rang bells with Robert Langdon's book 'Prehistoric Britain - the Stonehenge Enigma'! Could there have been a fiery beacon on top of Silbury Hill to guide boats to the moat/trading harbour?

[@warpedweft9004]

quite possibly, or an early warning system.

[@mm-qd1ho]

Why does the presence of water negate the ceremonial use? What is the margin of error, in feet, of the height of the water in the simulations?

[@moiraallen3841]

You have a lovely open mind. Great film, fascinating story. Thanks.

[@thewiltshirewomble]

Such a great video my friend… Avebury is my local walking venue where i have also created some footage on. What i also love about your video is your simulation of the water levels which will now make me look at Avebury very differently from now on…. Some great drone footage also over and through the avebury stones. Thank you so much for sharing. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.. Mark 👍

[@LamboPhoto]

Cheers Mark, really appreciate that. Yes, Avebury is fab. Love it, probably more than Stonehenge to be honest. So much going on. I only got into Geology a few years back, but since then, it has really helped in understanding the real purpose of a lot of these places. It is far too easy to label them all as "ceremonial" or "religious", seems a bit of a cop out - especially when it comes to digging a 1 mile, 9 metre deep, 15 metres wide ditch ... along with about 5,000 tons of sarsen stones! 😅 Just checked out your channel, we have a lot in common! I was down at Potterne, Roundway and Broad Hinton filming the crop circles a couple of weeks back. You've captured them well. We are luckly to have Wiltshire on our doorstep 🤩👍

[@thewiltshirewomble]

Thank you my friend… The geology element really adds to your videos…love it 👍Please keep in touch Chris… would be great to buddy up with you one day… maybe at one of the next crop circles 😊 Just posted a link on my community to your Avebury video… Speak soon Mark 👍

[@LamboPhoto]

@@thewiltshirewomble Sounds good. My contact is on the about page. I'm always heading south of the M4 down to Avebury, Pewsey Downs, Devizes, etc. It's a beautiful part of the world. Thanks for sharing the vid, mate. Ta for now 👍

[@GHOST5663]

Excellent video Chris. I like the way you went through everything and your use of graphics really helped. Using the river to flood the area would provide security, ease of travel and food. I would never have considered the area as being a waterscape. As for Silbury hill, I guess they had to dump all the spoil from the ditches somewhere.

[@jdrone]

Nice to meet you. Bro. I think it's a special place that deserves to be deserved. Thank you for the video today.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks! I totally agree, it is a very special place indeed! 👍

[@warpedweft9004]

i would have liked a closer look at the lidar images. I've been working with the National Trust looking for archaeological features on lidar images, and am wondering if there are some additional features in the lidar images that could shed further light on things. There is a very high possibility that it's already been done by archaeologists, but I'd still have liked to have seen them. While I could pause the video to look at them, you can't see much without zooming in for a closer look unfortunately.

[@merseyviking]

He used data from the National LiDAR Programme, which is free to download as raw point clouds, or DTMs, and has a horizontal resolution of 1 - 2m for all of England. QGIS has a primitive but usable 3D DTM and point cloud viewer.

[@warpedweft9004]

@@merseyviking yes i discovered that last night when I was looking at something else.

[@andrewburbidge]

The outer barrier suggests that people were shut in, as with modern religious and similar ceremonies. Was there an understanding of ownership, like with sheep and cattle, with ceremonial dipping and washing, still widely practised today? Was there a marriage type of cermony, helping to retain a following over many generations? Avebury; Ave; Avenue; also suggested by, Ave Maria, in more recent traditions. Did the flooded area represent feminine anatomy for some time during the site's development? Did the name known today stem from that place and era? Similarly in Yorkshire, the name, Thornborough -- The Orion Borough? Does the Whitsun Weddings tradition stem from Avebury in its era, related to the May blossom? The Orion Henges, near Ripon, had a white covering, likely to have represented the snow-covered mountains, where those in Scandinavia showed signs of having risen somehow because of landing stages being far above the waterline. An idea could have arisen about being able to influence the rising of land to gain protection against the flooding at the edge of the North Sea. In time, the flooding declined, Silbury Hill could have been used to test the idea that the setting of the Three Line Stars, represented at Thornborough, could influence the height of the land, even though refraction in the atmosphere, causing the apparent rise of the middle of the three stars relative to the other two, probably had no alternative type of explanation. A new tradition quite likely developed, repurposing the association with whiteness that was used at Thornborough and with the Orion pyramids in Egypt, to symbolise purity at the time of marriage. Why was this video, posted to KZbin 10 months ago, in the list of recommendations for me this day, May 14th, with Whitsun being 4 days away on Sunday May 19th this year? I hadn't thought of this connection to Avebury before!

[@elizabethtowers3321]

Really well done. Thank you. I had no idea about the water surrounding this area to this extent. I subscribed : )

[@sonsoffalstaff2600]

Beautifully done. Food for thought. Thank you.

[@LamboPhoto]

More than welcome!

[@JMcCrash]

I have long thought that the mounds in the eastern part of the USA were built to provide 'dry' areas as the glaciers covering Canada melted, but we have no megalithic stoneworks to go with them as seen in Europe. The alignment of the giant stones over there with N,S,E,W; the stars, etc. is mind-blowing. If you've not heard of them, the Amish Inquisition podcast is amazing. It's 3 mates from Preston, Lancashire talking about henges, megaliths, pre-history, etc.

[@Stupidityindex]

In the XII century significant events take place, as described in the Gospels: the coming of Jesus Christ, his life and crucifixion, although the existing text of the Gospels was edited and most likely dates to the XIV-XV cc. In the mid XII century, in the year 1152, Jesus Christ is born. In secular Byzantine history he is known as Emperor Andronicus and St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called in Russian history he was portrayed as the Great Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky. To be more specific, Andrey Bogolyubsky is a chronicler counterpart of Andronicus-Christ during his stay in Vladimir-Suzdal Rus’ of the XII century, where he spent most of his life. In fact, the Star of Bethlehem blazed in the middle of the XII century. This gives us an absolute astronomical dating of Christ’s Life. [ЦРС], ch.1. ‘Star of Bethlehem’ - is an explosion of a supernova, which at present is incorrectly dated to the middle of the XI century. The present-day Crab Nebula in the Taurus Constellation is the remnant of this explosion. Enigmatic timber scarcity in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages as first recognized by dender-pioneer Ernest Hollstein (1918-1988) "No sites exist anywhere with uninterrupted timber specimen from about 1000 CE backwards to Imperial Antiquity(1st-3rd c.). which is why the dendro-chronologies for Ancient Rome and, thereby the entire first millennium are in disarray. Since the very existence of the chronology periods without wood samples was never doubted by the researchers, nobody started to question our textbook chronology. Instead, out of stratigraphic context, scholars searched for wood samples in wells or moors to fill the irritating gaps. In addition, identical reign sequences were used twice in a row to gamer more years. Therefor, "all dendrochronological datings done on West Roman time wood is wrong by some unknown number of years"(") kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWmaZ5-Gj5KIkLc&ab_channel=PlanetAmnesia

[@JauneMacReady]

Great video. Well made, very informative and interesting. I went to Avebury once, years ago and have to admit, I think it's more impressive than Stonehenge. I love how there's a village in the middle of it. I think it's time for me to head down there again.

[@LamboPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, definitely worth revisiting if you have the chance! I love the place, and there are so many more related sites within a stone's throw of Avebury too 👍

[@JauneMacReady]

@@LamboPhoto absolutely! So much history in that area.

[@RaymondoLeeTravel]

Always love coming here! My wife’s family are from the area. Cheers 👋

[@LamboPhoto]

Thank you, Raymondo 👏 Glad you enjoyed it, you and your family are always welcome 👍

[@Peskii]

Great diea to crunch over, and my only addition would be to question why there? And would building it on that small island be manageable? I would be suprised if that island had all the natural resources to build it, meaning a connection to the mainland in some way. Surely buidling this type pf construction would be better suited to the peninsular to the left of it, giving access to both the island if ceremonialy important, and much better access to natural resources or even inland trade routes. I am probably missing something here and this may be a silly question though.

[@biffa1234100]

fantastic piece of work, many thanks. Have also liked and subscribed.

[@corruptduboiscountyindiana5058]

they thought we will bury this guy under this giant rock so we never have to worry about anyone digging him up and then..........

[@nickbrough8335]

A Special burial. One question might be was it because he was a local VIP or because he was a suspected to have seen wandering around after death.

[@LamboPhoto]

Well, he was wrong! 😅 Thanks for watching 🙂

[@Summerrose400]

Absolutely fascinating thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@mrmanch204]

This is excellent, top presentation, thank you for your hard work. Great use of evidence to reach possible conclusions with an open mind.

[@AndyBsUTube]

Very interesting idea. Nice work.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thank you! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@IHZ3185]

Just found the channel, I have been here a few times, every time I go I feel better in myself, as for the person buried underneath the stone, I presume that would be the Christian's no further comment needed, thanks for this video.

[@cindysunley5992]

Absolutely agree with this analysis and love the presentation. Thank you!

[@jaycrandell147]

Bloody 'ell. Now THAT is impressive. Did you just rock my world? Hasn't archaeology, and science, come forward a bit these days. And your visuals are superlative, as usual. I doff my hat to you, sir. Thank you for the eye, and mind, opener.

[@kevster2171]

Thanks for that amazing 3d reconstruction of the site. Such a revelation to see the water restored. The problem for me is that the Beckhampton Ave and part of the WK Ave would have been underwater according to this. I think ceremonial still makes more sense as why build such huge ditches and banks for a port?

[@LamboPhoto]

The henge was made when the land was flooded, many years before the avenues were built - which were built later because of the lack of water.

[@SallyJGlendinning]

Could the ditch have been used as a water source ??

[@LamboPhoto]

Potentionally to provide to the local villagers, who knows? Thanks for watching 🙂

[@pcka12]

It would be interesting to see a video showing how you filmed this video. I have been to Avebury many times (at first with my dad), but there is always something to learn.

[@LamboPhoto]

I filmed it using the Insta360 X3 and the Mini 3 Pro. I used freely available LiDAR data to render the animations. Avebury is a magical place, you and I are very lucky to have been there in person. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@pcka12]

@@LamboPhoto I did not realise that lidar data was now freely available, now WW2 German photo mosaic, that I knew about!

[@Reziac]

Avebury, different eye: The circular ditch is a moat. The standing stones are merlons, inner and outer defenses (why else would it follow the rim of the moat). Probably had wattle walls between.

[@KokowaSarunoKuniDesu]

So what was the hydrology at the Valley of Stones, and between there and Avebury? Could the stones have been rafted to the site?

[@LamboPhoto]

As far as I understand, and I am not hydrologist, geologist, let alone historian (I just like to tell a story from land and air) ... due to the meltwater causing wider/deeper rivers than today, filling what we now call dry valleys - it may have been possible to raft the stones east out of Valley of Stones (passing Devil's Den), the turn south and immediately west up what was then a huge River Kennet, turning north at Silbury Hill and north up to Avebury. See 13:13 for map. Again, just a theory, but I do find it very interesting.

[@DavidLorenzoFlorida]

*Interesting hypothesis and history lesson on Avebury Henge and the surrounding monuments. 👍*

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks David. And sorry for the late response! Avebury is about half hour south of me in the car. It's one of my all time faves. As around it are so many neolithic sites. It's a droners paradise 👏👍

[@philiph6488]

I've watched and read plenty on Avebury over the years, but this is excellent.

[@LamboPhoto]

Many thanks for a lovely comment and I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@tvtirl]

So, could there have been access to the circle by boat? Would post glacial flooding have still existed (full-time or seasonally)? If it was a trading centre, how far afield did the trading extend? Would there be navigable access to the sea?

[@stevemcha7129]

Rainfall at that time (3k to 3.5k years ago) must have been phenomenal if the width and depth of the river Kennet proposed is to be believed, especially at that elevation.

[@stevemcha7129]

Edit : correction 4K to 4.5k years ago.

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

11:11 now that's trippy.

[@susannah1066]

WOW-loved the recreation.

[@janetcox4873]

Love your work!, ... smiled when I saw you put on your coat r car when you started the trip, lol. Seriously, great work, thank you!

[@LamboPhoto]

Wow, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I do love making these videos, and reading comments such as yours is all the motivation I need 😀 Thank you for watching, take care, Chris 👍

[@janetcox4873]

@@LamboPhoto edit error re: 'coat r car' ... sorry 'bout that. The 'cult of water' that Pope Gregory wrote of [to some Abbott with a name I can't remember at the moment, lol] made the natural world and the old canal systems so real and important to me. Huge thanks for showcasing such cool info with beautiful vids.

[@nickbrough8335]

Interesting, but I have a question or two. Was that River an estuary or flooded valley in the late neolithic/early Bronze age ? If it wasn't. the geological map will only be showing the extent of the flood plain of the river. This may well have resulted in the ditch around the Avebury site becoming flooded as the River flooded (not necessarily on a 100 % basis as the volume of flood water would vary). you would also need to measure the depth of the flood plain deposits in the river valley and in the opening to the ditch to check the actual flood plain depth some 4,000 years ago. It should be easy enough to prove with an auger (permission/approvals etc).

[@LamboPhoto]

The area today is full of dry valleys, once flooded. I am no geologist or hydrologist, not even a historian! I am just someone who loves history 😅 Thanks for watching 🙂

[@nickbrough8335]

@@LamboPhoto Geologist by degree (a long time ago now though). I haven't been to Avebury. Dry valley's suggest Chalk (the spring line today tends to happen at the boundary with the lower Cretaceous Wealden beds, which are clay rich). These valleys were formed when the area was permafrost during the last ice age (pre-8,000+ ish). The chalk being frozen eroded rather than absorbed the water from the rivers (plus melt water from glaciers to the north). I don't think your hypothesis is particularly affected whether it's spring/winter flooding only. It's the observation that the ditch opens onto the river valley flood plain, which is important. Henge monuments do typically seem to have a "bridge" (or several) across the ditch, but I think it's much more common to find the ditches are fully enclosed (from what I've seen).. The Prehistory Guys (a YT channel now) made a 2 hour documentary called Standing with Stones which is a fascinating general introduction to Neolithic and Bronze age monuments of the UK. I find the sites where they used Tree trunks (which we might call Totem Poles these days) instead of stone particularly fascinating and the potential purpose of the outer ramparts. They're more science based than a lot of the YT Megalith channels, which are often full of very interesting speculation, but quite low on evidence. I try to be open minded.

[@elbapo7]

Liked the video. Think the hypothesis is questionable. Why build huge avenues of huge stones which would be half underwater? Why have such huge stones surrounding a port? What is the evidence the ditch was flooded. It would be great if water were involved and I can imagine this but it has no explanatory power for the nature of the site and also thrown up more questions

[@LamboPhoto]

@@nickbrough8335 Interesting stuff, I will check out the Prehistory Guys, it sounds right up my street. Thanks.

[@LamboPhoto]

@@elbapo7 As mentioned in the vid, the stone avenues no doubt came later. As the water continued to recede, Avebury was no longer accessible by boat. They could only get as close as The Sanctuary and Silbury Hill, hence they built West Kennet Avenue from the river up to Avebury. The stones could have been defensive or used as leverage to load/unload the boats ... who knows? There is plenty of evidence to show the ditch was flooded, as it contains alluvial deposits such as silt only found in waterways. Thanks for commenting 🙂

[@warpedweft9004]

The stone you mentioned where a skeleton was buried with it. Do you know if the stone was on top of any of the skeleton? If it was, then it could be a particular type of burial where the stone is supposed to prevent the person from ever returning. They are called revenants.

[@jasoneyre3424]

Under water! That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone mention that in 40yrs! The only other person to mention it was my father.

[@russelsellick316]

Fascinating place. Visited it twice in the 1970s

[@TR4zest]

The idea of a trading centre seems to come out of nowhere. The 9m-deep ditch, the installation of 100 massive stones, all seem a lot of unnecessary effort just for trade to occur. Trade would have been happening all over the countryside, yet here it needs a ditch and stones henge, the biggest in Europe? What the megalithic landscape around Avebury tells me is that the people living on this landscape 5,000 years ago were successful. They were not just existing. They chose to build these monuments. They had the capacity and will to divert communal effort to build these structures. Therefore, they must have had great meaning, great symbolism. Not one of these structures helped put food in mouths, or clothe, or shelter. Their purpose was bigger than everyday living. Their purpose may have been in governance or 'higher power' beliefs, and possibly a combination of both.

[@asotpan]

Great video just a pity the raucous music spoils it.

[@LamboPhoto]

Music is subjective, some like, some dislike. Always hard to find the balance. Glad to hear you liked the video though 🙂

[@brandyjean7015]

For us older Americans: 9 meters is 29 feet... so yes that ditch was plenty deep.

[@LamboPhoto]

My thoughts exactly, a lot of earth to dig for ceromonial purposes.

[@0harris0]

I've seen it in this way for quite some time! well done 🙏

[@0harris0]

I'm not fully with you on the dating but the evidence is bountiful

[@angelafoxmusic7265]

Fascinating. Thankyou.

[@willempasterkamp862]

the cars coming in at the wrong side of the road shook me up time for a coffee

[@bardmadsen6956]

That was freaky with what I know, if your proposal is correct, the real message in symbolism would be the comet serpent passing through the Sun/Planet, where-in the cosmic snake would come from the Sea (sky & space) crossing the circle, also surrounded by water, and back into infinity. Check out Cintos LiDAR and colorize, that is kind of what I was expecting and to see the serpent that was there. I'm keenly interested if one would be able to see a bon fire at the top of Silbury Hill from Stonehenge? Also, how far off are the two from Celestial North? Had a dream long ago about being on a tiny planet alike the fish eyed lens scene. Subscribed just for the imagery I got, thanks!

[@LamboPhoto]

I will check it out. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@davidcunningham2074]

love the narrow camera angles.

[@wrightwells]

Thats really interesting and when you see Silbury Hill in flood its shows how possible this would have been.

[@LamboPhoto]

Coincidentally, shortly after I filmed this, Silbury was surrounded by water. I filmed it and it's on my Instagram page, link in my channel details.

[@dottester3039]

Amazing work, thank you.

[@LamboPhoto]

More than welcome! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@truter5243]

If you use the stones as anchors to place logs/branches/rope, etc in there, you end up with a pretty secure way to manage livestock

[@Sunnycider1]

Exactly, it's a good theory! Historians often theorise of rituals and ceremonies, but of course ways of feeding themselves, of surviving, is a vital and obvious necessity that our ancestors would have surely worked so hard on. Keeping animals in strong enclosures so they could eat and trade them would definitely have made sense

[@truter5243]

@Sunnycider1 I agree with you. They often want to romanticize the past, but I'm sure more often than not, these remains were of a practical nature. Why chase after your livestock over vast fields when you can keep them contained to an area. Especially if the area was indeed a place of trade. I expect animals could get startled or annoyed with all the movement or arrival of other traders or other species of animal from those traders. The animals would naturally want to spread out. That's just annoying on the legs 😆 Keep them all contained and your day becomes less cumbersome

[@mccblarney]

Interesting idea.

[@stephengarrett8076]

Wow i never knew, thanks this brings a lot into perspective 👍

[@leelastarsky]

This was fabulous!! Thankyou!!

[@LamboPhoto]

Kind of you to say! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@megs4193]

That feels so righ! 😊❤❤❤.

[@daizyflower272]

Anyone made a connection with this Avebury and the Martain Cydonia map?

[@MreViewer]

Fascinating stuff

[@LamboPhoto]

Gladf you liked it. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@joangordoneieio]

Brilliant work!

[@LamboPhoto]

Thank you! Cheers! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@hetrodoxlysonov-wh9oo]

The ditch is always dry because chalk is porous, would it have held water.

[@LamboPhoto]

Yes. I filmed it over December 2023 and January 2024 where it held a lot of water. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

No. Water level is determined by the water table. The land is porous there.

[@Bombaybadboy007]

Superb mr Chris 🎉

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks @Bombaybadboy007 ... glad you liked it mate 👍

[@sharonholdren7588]

As green as that grass is and you're bundled like it was January.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks for watching. 12 days till January 🙂

[@damianjones6546]

Fascinating, thanks 👍

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it.

[@wallytangofoxtrot4721]

The ring-moat for trading design is very reminiscent of the ancient Atlantean concentric rings described in the ancient record. Perhaps their survivors went on to terraform a thawing and melt-water rich Briton.

[@TheStobb50]

Thinking about the ditch if the spoils is on the outside is the ditch is not for defence from the outside but it could be defence from the inside where they trying to keep something or someone in

[@Sunnycider1]

Maybe to keep farm animals in

[@pirated8557]

Excellent 👍🏼

[@LamboPhoto]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@richardclegg7846]

The stone came from West Woods. I've been to investigate. I dug under one and found a large concentration of flint, which was not in evidence elsewhere. The stone once stood in this position. I think that West Woods was a site of great significance before Avebury. There is still one standing stone and a barrow.

[@LamboPhoto]

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, West Woods is half a mile south of Valley of Stones. There are sarsens littered all the way to the east, up the Kennet Valley - dumped there after the last great melt. It's certainly a fascinating area, steeped in history ... most of which we've not discovered yet. Thanks for commenting 👍

[@richardclegg7846]

@LamboPhoto Thanks for getting back. All the very best 👌 👍

[@JeliLala]

What struck me, is the extreme flatness of the ground. I am English so I innately know what is 'normal' in English landscape... rolling hills. It looks abnormally flat, to me. It's totally flat! And could the stones that 'were buried'. 'with a skeleton'. Have been buried... by mud? Could the whole landscape have been enveloped by a mud flood? and the skeleton be a human who was swept away in it? (Look up Tartaria and mood flood if unfamiliar - the idea that the whole planet was engulfed in a mud flood - basically, to wipe out humans, to repurify the slave race, and leading to many partly submerged basement windows in castles and houses - potentially also, in my view, why Gobekli Tepi was 'deliberately buried' - by a mud flood? And those giant heads in New Zealand... Are submerged full figures. Global mud flood?). Could the mounds/ditches have been a clearing, of mud, from a mud flood? Which would also explain the submergence of stones. Also, it could explain why the ditch is much less than the original 9 metres (mud flood?) Not ceremonial, but protection against, or clearing of, mud flood. Trenches to clear and protect mud. Mounds of cleared earth. They had to put it somewhere. Wonderful video, by the way. I could see lots of patterns and shapes in the landscape. More circles than were mentioned. Could you make a simplified drawing? Without the land? Might reveal more sense in how it all fits together. Wonderful thoughtful content. Thanks.

[@More-Space-In-Ear]

I've always thought it to be a safe harbour.