Avebury Henge - the history books are wrong

[@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 👏

[@helenamcginty4920]

The video is lovely. Pity the commentary is more folk tale the history. But hey. 😊

[@beefy0978]

Just imagine if the stone circles were really just foundations for building above water…

[@lizziewinter951]

😅​@@helenamcginty4920

[@ValeriePallaoro]

@@beefy0978 why?

[@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.

[@rogerphelps9939]

Pub not much good though. You now have to book to eat there

[@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.

[@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

[@adamseccombe7907]

@@LamboPhoto apologies for slow response - the point is that the watercourse from uffcot down became visible again 100 yards wide - all the way down the valley...I understand logistical issues - the point was that it could have been great to have captured some of those images in the very wet period earlier this year

[@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.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

'just for trade' is not a thing. Trade was a high level importance thing. Creation of a special place for meeting in which trade, communication, consultation happened? That's def. a thing. Moreover, though he poo-poohs it, that's ritual. Trade is imbued with ritual. Thinking ritual is only religious? That's where he goes wrong.

[@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!

[@SolarVibeEnergy]

2nd this, well said, very well made. How do you feel if I recommended this vid to a respectful partly reaction channel they are a small family, now the parents both watch interesting vid on their UK/Ireland roots & they will be very interested in this. You deserve a wider audience.

[@RLc-h8c]

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 🙂

[@bethbartlett5692]

​​@@LamboPhoto Any Authentic History is a Value worthy of Attention, particularly in Ireland, Whales, and Britain. Enjoy your Explorations and Discoveries. Beth Bartlett Sociologist/Behavioralist and Historian Tennessee, USA (Irish American)

[@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.

[@SuperGyre]

At 14.07 "This map shows the superficial deposits, specifically, Alluvium - the material deposited by a river, stream or other body of running water." Evidence? Reference to published data?

[@js2749]

The wet, marshy period went from (approx) 4,000BC to 3,500BC. The henge was dug BEFORE this period, and the stones were brought in AFTER this wet period. You are correct to say there was a wet period during the time of Avebury, but the story is a little bit more complex that your description here. ALSO the henge was never filled with water. Great video, however.

[@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 👍

[@bartlebob]

The earthworks are staggering. Great video mate !

[@themajesticmagnificent386]

Amazing video mate..Researching myself St Catherine’s hill in Christchurch where the Avon is on one side and the stour on the other..But near St.Catherines is Ramsdown,which is a smaller hill in the shadow of St.Catherines..By Ramdowns are two Bronze Age burial mounds on which one is situated on a man made ridge and slope dating back to the Neolithic..I think all three are connected and St.Catherines with the two rivers beside her was an important site in history of the area and the U.K.. Thank you again and all the best

[@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 👍

[@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.

[@katydery2544]

I visualise the footsteps of giants in Avebury

[@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.

[@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?

[@paulberen]

Some feesibility here for sure, ways in which Avebury may have been used, in its time; except the location / area is too high - elevated well above any 'high tide' factor possible.. Seasonal flooding maybe?.

[@helenparker1870]

You should not assume that the ditch was ever 9m deep relative to the surrounding land. Over the centuries the bank would have eroded and new layers dug out to raise the height again above the relative height of the surrounding land. Modern ditches are cleaned out, but very rarely do people make an effort to clean out right to the bottom of the original cut.

[@stephaniegarrett3246]

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

[@along9971]

What a great video! Very well done and informative

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@ValeriePallaoro]

for the 'slickness' of the video, there's little information to it. I love the lidar, the maps, the interest in the waterways, because if it's the same as Stonehenge or the pyramids, it could be the way to move the stones around. But he leaps about with the information and gives no reasoning for his view. The Green Sahara theory is the same age though so maybe it's a wetter time, or more likely it was flood plain and only a thing occasionally. I'm interested if the ditch did fill with water; but then the entrance way would be compromised too. Also .. trade is ritual so, there's that, too.

[@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!

[@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.

[@meerfisch]

Absolutely breathtaking photography. ❤

[@LamboPhoto]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@geominiana]

Such a good video 👏🏻

[@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 👍

[@utubeape]

Brilliant little film, thanks. Its often the case that the authority wants to say things were for religion rather than trading, I suppose because it fits in with academics idea of linear progression from primitive simple people to clever ones today

[@moiraallen3841]

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

[@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.

[@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?)

[@dtulip1]

February half term 1990 I joined an NT volunteer archaeology finds search around Avebury it was fascinating we were put up in a property that literally looked out onto the henge amazing time ❤

[@DWKThedogbreaths]

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

[@TimothyLuke-sh6gl]

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

[@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.

[@neil4701]

A pedantic point, and I haven't watched the video yet, but there aren't any "history books" about these monuments because they are prehistoric.

[@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 👍

[@JCardoso-j9l]

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 👏🏻

[@BritGirl-fg9gj]

Chris, a shout out to youtube for dropping this into my video feed! Happy to have discovered your site. I live in the US and due to physical and financial constraints, I'll never get to see these wonderful sites in person. As an ardent anglophile and lover of history, I've read several books about Avebury and the surrounding area. It is very helpful seeing this from above as it shows a completely different perspective as opposed to filming totally on tne ground. I've subscribed to your site and am looking forward to watching the other videos.

[@davehart1027]

Hey mind doing a research for me? Have a theoretical that you can talk from Avebury to stonehenge using light

[@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

[@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

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

Thanks to modern technology just about all the books on our ancient history are wrong to some degree or another. I find the best time for the atmosphere to visit these paces is the autumn.

[@vicsaunders9710]

Good video, enjoyed that. 👍👏👏

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 👍

[@SallyJGlendinning]

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

[@LamboPhoto]

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

[@ralphhofmeier8840]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@paulberen]

@@LamboPhoto It's proven that the Blue Stones at Stonehenge came from Wales - a lot of work to do this just for ceremonial purposes? Or is that why they did it? An intense passion-like for the beliefs etc that led people to build such places?

[@peterhudson4027]

An implication of the bank/ditch being the wrong way round is that it was not designed to keep people out - but to keep someone/something IN. Either real people, or in a spiritual or religious sense?

[@AndyJarman]

On my visit the bank seemed to look like a spectator viewing platform, with the inner platform separated by the ditch. It might have been a mustering/performance area for great gatherings. The woefully modest building efforts the Anglo Saxons left behind puts into perspective the immense call on resources these things had. I can't bring myself to believe their religion was that firmly entrenched it could demand such actions. But then we should remember this was around the time the Egyptians were building the pyramids. We have such a peculiar image of what our society was like then it makes all of this baffling. Even if the ground water was not quite as high as you depict, the ditch would still have been wet, and its sheer depth would have formed a formidable barrier.

[@stephenskinner3851]

You do live in GB and so should be familiar with the weather? It is something we are famous for talking about.

[@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! 👍

[@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

[@sharonholdren7588]

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

[@LamboPhoto]

Thanks for watching. 12 days till January 🙂

[@derekgreenacre9530]

As with all these prehistoric circles I feel that too much emphasis is placed on the ditch rather than the bank. It is the bank which was the important thing to the builders, the ditch being merely the supplier of the material to build the bank. The evidence for this must of course the Mayburgh henge in Cumbria where there is no ditch but a huge bank made of small stones collected from the river.

[@einarcgulbrandsen7177]

It think it looks like a draining and a retainer wall. Keep the outside out and the inside separated. Any chance there is fresh water inside ?

[@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

[@simontemplarGB]

Where did "trade" suddenly come from?

[@glendamears3618]

This is amazing. Thankyou l loved it😊

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@AdamMorganIbbotson]

lol - no. What you're proposing here is a giant lake, not a river. Such a thing did not exist. Rivers don't pool up like that. They flow and erode, creating deep gullies in the earth as they do so. There's no evidence of what you're proposing at all.

[@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.

[@paulberen]

@@ChrisShortyAllen The land may be porous, but that doesn't say how quickly it soaked up water, so doesn't say that the ditch could not have contained water, in from the River, or because it was so much wetter in Avebury times, or from local rainfall...

[@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.

[@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.,

[@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.

[@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?

[@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 👌 👍

[@stephengarrett8076]

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

[@Jon6429]

Definitely puts an interesting twist on things but still trying to get head around the concept of moat inside the wall.

[@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 🙂

[@MattsBrabus]

Guess the question i have is as Silbury has been dated to circa 2400BCE how would it have been built given the predicted water levels at that time?

[@LamboPhoto]

Silbury Hill was built in 3 stages, over hundreds of years. Who knows the original elevation of the ground that it was built on? Perhaps it was already a natural hill, surrounded by water - making it an ideal place for building it upon. Or perhaps the moat that we see around the hill today in flooding season is merely due to the material that was cut from the landscape to make the hill over the years. Pass. Good question though! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@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 🙂

[@paulberen]

Stonehenge or Avebury is on a pole to pole longitude line that takes in Lindisfarne, Holy Island, The Swastica Stone, Ilkley / Rombaulds Moor, an Egypt, an Altar Stone, Halifax River Bridge, Exley nearby, and then south via a curious connection at Melktham (not Melksham, Wiltshire), involving Wilpshire and Salesbury villages, (both correct spelling) in Lancashire. (not all fully confirmed)

[@angelafoxmusic7265]

Fascinating. Thankyou.

[@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.

[@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 🙂

[@alphalunamare]

I wonder how they dug and dredged the then 'moat' around the 'island' when the river was so high. The Hydrology raises more questions than it answers. I realy enjoyed Your presentation, easy going and factual without tv bluster :-) I wonder what the water levels were 500 years, or more, earlier when folk lived up at the Windmill, much higher for yonks ... and then came down and made Avebury. Could a people have duggen a moat whilst already flooded? I feel that there is much much more too be gleaned about the place. :-)

[@rnedlo9909]

The reason for all the stone monuments from ancient times: No TV!

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

Makes you wonder what we'd be up to today with no internet, TV, mobile phones, e-mail, cars and airplanes. Maybe we'd be more enlightened.

[@rnedlo9909]

@@philipmcdonagh1094 Before my phone keeping all my phone contacts, I knew everyone's number I had anything to do with. Today, not one number.

[@SHANECatLovinActivistHistorian]

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 🙂

[@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!

[@TheSonsofFalstaff]

Beautifully done. Food for thought. Thank you.

[@LamboPhoto]

More than welcome!

[@paulberen]

Fish food? When the ditch was flooded? For all the flawed conclusions, however much left open at the end of the vid, it's certainly an interesting presentation for including the water and flood factor feesibility.. All of Britain was a lot wetter until relatively recent history, with Glastonbury, for example, including Pilton and Pylle, both English names for landing places, well inland, close to and further inland from Glastonbury. And no question that the area up to and around Glastonbury was a flooded area at high tide times, with the locally famous 'five islands' included.

[@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 👏👍

[@elizabethtowers3321]

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

[@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 🙂

[@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.

[@paulberen]

answered above, the dates of the 'marshy period?

[@AndyBsUTube]

Very interesting idea. Nice work.

[@LamboPhoto]

Thank you! 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!

[@EGDD-42]

Avebury is an old harbour with 270 mooting off the stones as posts to tie off, Silbury is a lighthouse Looks just a feasible as its a giant place of worship

[@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.

[@RalphEllis]

If you look at the henge from above, it is a representation of the Earth, floating in space. See book “Thoth, Architect of the Universe”. R

[@LamboPhoto]

I will check it out. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@daizyflower272]

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

[@paulberen]

Yes, at Melktham and Marsden, and Salesbury and Wilpshire in Lancashire.. Melktham is at the top centre of a giant square based pyramid, Marsden on a corner, and an axis line that corresponds to the middle, centre line of a band of terrain known as UFO Alley; with the pyramid corresponding to the pentagonal pyramid in Cydonia, Mars, and 'The Face' on Mars corresponding to Leeds, West Yorkshire, and so an almost carbon copy geometry map that is the same shape as the geometry map made by the Mars, Cydonia features. There's also a latitude connection, (51 degrees north), Stonehenge and 'The Great Storm' on Jupiter and other correspondences, such as the latitude of Cydonia, Mars.

[@mccblarney]

Interesting idea.

[@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.

[@vardito10]

wow, fantastic video. I love that area and have explored a few times, how the hell did they do that under water, particularly silbury hill...and yet your interpretation makes a lot more sense to me having seen it all.