How we Misunderstood AVEBURY

[@joostvanlinge263]

Dear Paul and Rebecca, if you wonder why a Dutchman would subscribe to your channel: don't. You make those ancient sites come alive.

[@RichardFelstead1949]

I'm an Australian and subscribe.lol

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Avebury really is the site that keeps on giving. I had absolutely no idea about this, but it's a very appealing and credible idea. Isn't it fascinating when a place develops over such a huge span of time, such that its original purpose is forgotten. There's something of the indomitable nature of mankind in that notion. Fabulous video. Thank you.

[@robw9994]

Thanks for your videos. I know you sometimes stress about making these, but please know that it is really appreciated. As a history nerd and an English Heritage Volunteer (at Stonehenge and 2 other places!) I have got a fair bit of my knowledge/context from your videos. Please keep making them! And Rebecca, I know you don't appear in these anymore, but I expect that you are involved in the filming/editing of them. Again thanks!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Rob. Thats appreciated.

[@MostlyPeacefulWACO]

How common are these rectilinear structures within henges of that time? Is Stonehenge contemporary with Avebury? The current mainstream interpretation is that Stonehenge didn't have people living there, right?

[@Paul-Nicer58]

​@@MostlyPeacefulWACO I read somewhere the stones had rope net things draped on them & were used by travellers as a tie up for donkeys & horses while travellers got mammoth burgers & roast ground acorn coffee or a beer etc at the rectilinear building which was a warehouse & fast food purveyors establishment. The post ice age rivers were much bigger & people were also picking stuff up from the boats or delivering to the boats for transport & trade purposes.

[@philwildcroft1764]

Avebury is the centre of the world (where the world is defined as Mesolithic/early Neolithic southern England) because in the same way that all roads lead to Rome, all rivers lead to Avebury. River routes were incredibly important back then and from the Marlborough Downs just near Avebury (and in sight of Windmill Hill) you can flow down the Marden into the Bristol Avon, down the Kennet into the Thames, or down the Hampshire Avon. It would be more surprising if Avebury hadn't become a massively significant place.

[@Joe-sg9ll]

have you seen the "Atlantis in the Azores" series? Avebury is featured prominently

[@nicolabenson1155]

I am not sure of your theory, as the chalk lands around Avebury are very dry for much of the year. The River Kennett which runs through the village is only a stream, and not navigable until many miles downstream. The Marden rises six miles from Avebury, and again is only navigable many miles down stream. However the Ridgeway, an ancient route along the ridge of the north Wiltshire downs, was an incredibly important route as it was dry and fairly open compared to the dense,impenetrable and often boggy forests enveloping the surrounding lowlands.

[@philwildcroft1764]

@@nicolabenson1155 Mesolithic people weren't navigating the rivers and I didn't suggest they were, but it's well established that they travelled the river valleys. Ranscombe Bottom where the Marden rises is only four miles from the Avebury Henge.

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Fascinating and thought-provoking video, reinforcing the argument that neolithic - and other monuments - probably had no single use, or purpose, and that these and the forms they took, evolved over many hundreds of years, and many generations. Thank you.

[@greva2904]

Even medieval churches originally had more than one purpose. They weren’t just places of worship. As the only significant buildings in villages etc they were the centre of everything - meetings, royal proclamations, trials, markets etc. Priests even brewed beer in them! There’s no reason at all why Neolithic circles and tombs serve more than one function.

[@andrewwilson6091]

Admiration for Paul’s energy levels and enthusiasm for the investigations ❤

[@Christina-ge3xr]

Thank you for another wonderful Sunday! Sadly I will not be able to travel back to Wiltshire but it was my favorite place to visit on my tour of Great Britain. I now rely on you to be my guides😊

[@terencesaunders1357]

Have sent this video to my grandson whose girlfriend is studying archeology at Winchester university.

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you. Remind them I'm noooo archaeologist. 😬

[@CrusaderSports250]

​@@pwhitewickyou may not be qualified but your information and presentation is captivating, it is an inspiration to learn more, thank you.

[@FatFrankie42]

*_A comment offering for the algorithm gods_*

[@AndyJarman]

No doubt a 'ritual' practice?

[@paulinehedges5088]

Paul these videos get better all the time! This was truly interesting and lots of new information. Great photography too. Thank you SO MUCH. 😊😊😊😊

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Pauline

[@kingloser4198]

Fighting sheep aswell :)

[@ericbiggane9786]

I love all the videos but prehistory is one of my favourite subjects, thank you.

[@pwhitewick]

Glad you like them!

[@AndyJarman]

I recently watched a Phil "the hat" Harding video about a double mini henge at Bullsford between Avebury and Stonehenge. It immediately reminded me of the double circles at Avebury. I've been reading a historic account of how the family in classical Greece and Rome was rooted to the ground on which it was founded. The patriarch of the family being priest and law giver. Each house had it's own ancestor worship personified in household gods. It's called Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism by the late great, recently departed Prof. Larry Siedentop (2014). Foundation myths were so strongly attached with the family, it's gens, it's clan, it's city and eventually it's nation state that when establishing new colonies, the patriarch would bring soil from the original house and bury it beneath the new house so 'rooted' were they in the soil. I recommend everyone read this book. Paul's revealing a long house as perhaps the 'gens-erator' of the whole monument really struck a chord with me concerning Sidentop's book.

[@karphin1]

I thoroughly enjoy your walks in Britain, Paul! My husband and I visited Britain in 1981, (we lived on Canada’s East Coast at the time), and I planned the trip to include a visit to Stonehenge and also, Avebury. Not sure how I learned of it, but I was interested in these ancient things. We drove through the farm area and saw the stones in fields with sheep, and near buildings. I even got a book on the Avebury Circle, which is doubtless out of date now! But thanks so much for enlightening us on this history of the British landscape.

[@ColinH1973]

Very interesting indeed, Paul. Thank you.

[@pwhitewick]

Very welcome

[@steveclarke6257]

I was here in the summer and flew my drone as well, there are so many features you can see in the landscape, which defy interpretion. The landscape as we understand from examination of the soils at the time of the circles were built was very different. It was wetter, and more woodier, somehing that thousands of year of agriculture has changed So we are trying to understand an enigma, from about 1 or 2% of the actual evidence from the time this was built

[@highpath4776]

Rings imply a form following mushroom growth - where the outer ring expands as new spores wont grow on land previously occupied so at one time there could have been a ring of land that was less productive and this was then filled with the stones ? Also what is the solar alignments of the main stones in the ring ?

[@BillSikes.]

We'll never really know

[@howardchambers9679]

​@@highpath4776some believe that Avebury was more lunar oriented

[@paulberen]

@@howardchambers9679 Isn't Avebury also associated with the Sun's Ecliptic Line? if not the 'Michael Line' including a St Michael at Bury St Edmunds, and on Glastonbury Tor, Church Tower (The Church was knocked down by an earthquake in 1275), and then nearby Burrow Mump, with a Michael Church Tower, and then to Avebury and on to St Michael's Mount, at Marazion, Penzance Bay. The Church on St Michaels Mount is St Mary's, and the Church built on the first occupied location of Penzance, next to the natural harbour there, is St Mary's. And Madron, and Church, and Magical & Ancient Madron Well, multiple bubbling springs, nearby.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@howardchambers9679 And some of the more "lunar oriented" among us believe that the whole shebang was created by little green men from a place far far away. 🤔🙄

[@robertthomas603]

Thanks, I was unaware of the circle between the 2 barrows. So that will now keep me busy for a few weeks.

[@HassanRadwan133]

Thanks for this. I often passed by Avebury and would stop for lunch and a pale ale at the pub after walking around the stones. Always gave me goosebumps!

[@SharpblueCreative]

I loved this one Paul. I love it when you are doing investigations in the area I live. Avebury has always been part of my life.

[@KirstenBayes]

Sunday evening viewing sorted!

[@leighdurrant9116]

I've been fascinated by Avebury since I was a kid, when they were featured in the TV series "Children of the Stones", shamefully I've still not been to see them. Great video, as always makes me want to visit even more !!

[@IanDDalton]

I love your video's on a rainy Sunday afternoon. A place I have been very interested in lately is Cold Kitchen Hill which is near Kingston Deverill in Wiltshire. The name "Cold Kitchen" apparently comes from the Celtic Col Cruachan, meaning Hill of the Wizard. I think its somewhere you would be very interested in, as it is the site of a Roman Temple, and also has neolithic activity very close by. I think this may have been ancient route, as it straddles the borders of Wiltshire and Somerset, but may be worth some Whitewick investigation :)

[@pwhitewick]

Love it up there. The crossing of two Roman Roads as well.

[@philwildcroft1764]

The Deverills are lovely so well worth a visit even if the investigation comes to nothing. :)

[@paulberen]

@@philwildcroft1764 The SAS Hereford base at Credenhill is next to a Roman Roads Crossroad Junction; and with a River Bridge included; and next to a Roman Camp; and next to a Prehistoric 'hill-fort' on Credenhill Hill itself. This is like the multiple uses across history, in the vid conclusion, and the present, current use included.. Following the Roman Road across the River Wye, to the Southwards, there is an Abbey Dor, or Abbey d' Or, not a door, but situated in The Golden Valley, or 'Or' the Anglo Norman / French word for Gold. Nearby is a Riverdell, and a Bilbo Farm and Great Bilbo, so all another world completely, again. (Tolkien used the nearby, across the River Wye, Welsh language for his Royal Elves Language, and his Hobbits were Worcester and Warwickshire Folk, and English Rural Folk) [The West-East Road from the Bilbos includes Bagwylidiart, (Bilbo-Bagwilidiart-Baggins?), and with Orcop nearest to the north; and Trollways to the south). The Dark Lords are there, or JRR Tolkien's most hated, the De Lacy's at Ewis Lacy; same Nordic Normans who conquered in 1066, and industrialised English Agriculture and terrorised it's people, destroying the 'rural idyll' Culture, and creating the real Robin Hood / Hoods. JRR Tolkien had no religions in his world, but included likes Barrow Downs, meaning Ancient Barrow /Burial Mounds, and included The Rollright Stones, Stone Circle, in Middle Earth.

[@AllotmentFox]

Isn’t it interesting that we both filmed a video there within days of each other yet our interpretations are so different? It has been well known that some long barrows were previously houses for the living that then were rebuilt as houses for the dead but I had no idea about Avebury. Funnily enough I did say to myself, that’s a rectangle but didn’t think any further on it. That’ll teach me to dig a bit deeper. I like that Avebury is still revealing itself to us. Great video.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Tom. I really enjoyed this one. Yup, i think we missed each other by less than 48 hours.

[@gevetsrm]

One of your more fascinating videos Paul, it bought together some facts I knew and some I didn't; as usual well presented and easy to understand, thanks

[@totoro123]

Another broadcast-worthy production. Awesome.

[@jerrygale1994]

Another gem. Thank you for creating and sharing

[@loudrah326]

I loved it here... See that white pub on the corner, The Red Lion I think! It is the most haunted pub in England or so they say.... They even done a most haunted there....

[@doctorscoot]

Thanks for another great video 🙏 - love them. I did ancient history at university, my only contact with this subject matter was via a subject on Roman Britain. Villas and roads(and Bath)! I did some reading on pre-Roman Britain, but thanks for the better perspectives on this subject. ❤

[@philipwalker7611]

So the stone ring spanning the potholed path also had a structure in the middle that pre-dated the ring - is that right? And the same originally at Avebury. Fascinating video. Thank you. I'm lucky enough to live on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment with many barrows on top of the crest seemingly pointing at the setting sun. Oh for a discreet time machine!

[@johnhughes8563]

Once again thank you for an excellent video.

[@Sarge084]

My first Basic Fitness Test after basic training was from RAF Brize Norton, it took us through Avebury and finished at Barbary Castle, and while it was nice to see these ancient monuments I was entirely focused on finishing the walk with full pack and carrying a weapon. A couple of years later and the BFT was confined to within the perimeter fence of RAF Brize Norton.

[@paulukjames7799]

Your best podcast yet Paul keep up the good work excellent .

[@pwhitewick]

Much appreciated

[@richmeister1960]

Thank you, this has change my understanding of a place I know so well.

[@nickrider5220]

Thanks Paul, that's one of your finest videos, I would've watched that for hours ! 🍻

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you. I really enjoyed making this.

[@shirleylynch7529]

Very interesting as always. Thanks for your unending research and enthusiasm.

[@stuartbridger5177]

Fascinating subject and quality production. Excellent work.

[@magicknight8412]

I keep getting drawn back to Avebury every so often, great to hear this theory about it all, definitely makes sense. Went to stonehenge, avebury,silbury hill and west kennet longbarrow this summer with my son who loved it all. amazing landscape

[@paulmicelli5819]

Interesting show, keep up the good work. Thanks

[@nigelsouthworth5577]

Thanks for posting. I was looking forward to this and enjoyed it. I have subscribed.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Nigel. Welcome

[@leonardjackman354]

Great content again Paul look forward to Sunday evenings. Magical place Avebury.

[@colintyrrell3670]

Thanks for another great video. We visited here in 2011 (from Australia), and I felt it was a really amazing area, and your story has added more to my understanding of the place.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

Another top presentation.

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you

[@rckoala8838]

I just visited Avebury/Silbury Hill a few weeks ago -- a beautiful place, very peaceful, and the surrounding landscape is lovely. I need to return to see the rest of the ancient sites! Thanks again for your video, very good depiction of the historical features.

[@andrew-jw5yw]

Wonderfully educational and interesting

[@PhilipMurphy8]

Wonderful subject and production, Thanks Paul

[@pwhitewick]

Many thanks!

[@eh1702]

This is such a well done documentary - well narrated, well shot, really good, informative graphics, no gimmicks - solid. I had heard about the remains of feasts, that the animals came from different regions: and we’ve all just recently heard about the “altar” stone at Stonehenge coming possibly from northern Scotland. But I was not aware of this whole context for those snippets of information. Thanks!

[@mrroobarb]

Great stuff as ever, in all seriousness you should be doing this for a major commercial channel.

[@kachinaneon]

Thank you for the context.

[@StormwatchDruid]

Not to mention the large prehistoric site at Durrington Walls where there was a massive henge that may have been connected to the wider prehistoric landscape. Thanks for another interesting little video Paul.

[@pwhitewick]

Yup, very good point

[@peterthorpe8104]

Great Video Paul. Thank you for your dedication on this subject. A long way from the days of 'every disused station'

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Peter.

[@paul.Darling]

Once again thank you Paul, Avebury is to my mind a far more complex and interesting landscape than Stonehenge. Thank you also for shedding light on the homestead origin of the complex, not many people will have heard about this I think..........................

[@tombra7]

Great video ! Structure near farm lays exact on the line from West Kennet to St Paul`s Cathedral .

[@peterfrance702]

The local population must have been considerable

[@pwhitewick]

Indeed.

[@Jimyjames73]

I always look forward to watching your interesting Videos Paul - Thanks for sharing 😉🙂🚂🚂🚂

[@mattrishton]

Great vid; You should check out the story of the lost Shap stone circle and ceremonial avenues in Westmorland; reputed to be even bigger than the Avebury complex...

[@Searsey8158]

Very interesting. We've found a rectilinear feature doing some geophysics. It's about 500 metres from a stone circle and a wood henge.

[@pwhitewick]

Ooooh. Like this

[@hedleythorne]

Excellent presentation, and some insightful information into Avebury.

[@QualityCraftsmen]

Great context! Thank you for the new prospective.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

Loved that. Really enjoying the history. Thank you. Please take care

[@robpearce5154]

Paul, I have something quite interesting to add to the history of Avebury. About six months ago, I saw a video about the area which puts a completely different light on the area when the site was new. At that time, it was much closer to the final end of the last ice age. Rivers like the Kennet and the Salisbury Avon near Stonehenge would have been much larger that today, the water table being much higher. And so the western side of the Avebury site would have most likely been accessible by boats coming up the River Kennet, similarly Stonehenge via the River Avon. Both rivers would doubtless have been two or three times their current size and therefore been obvious routes to such monuments, regardless of their actual functions at the time. Have you been made aware of this video? I regret I have lost the link to it, but it was published around 6 months ago.

[@paulberen]

The Stonehenge open horseshoe shape, and Hele Stone Alignment to Summer Solstice Sunrise, and so The Avenue aligned, includes the same 'Avenue' turning towards and reaching to the River.. A higher water level would make sense of the usefulness of Rivers for transporting stones.Barges and ready-made Stonehenge Blue Stones have been found on the Seabed near the Welsh Coast nearest the Preseli Hills Quarries, Wales; where the Blue Stones came from.. Higher water levels and 'flooded' / underwater places in Britain would have enabled easier transport of such as big stones overland; while using Rivers and flooded areas included.. Coastal Routes and River Routes were used right up to recent times, in the Industrial age included, and by the metals and jewelry etc found in Britain; Europe was regularly traded with back into pre-historic times included. A Somerset saying says 'as sure as Jesus came to Priddy' - when someone's certain of something.. At age 12, by other accounts, meeting a girl named Lydia, living with her family in Priddy Village, edge of the Mendip Hills, north from Glastonbury; and so where they stayed while the Travelling Merchant Uncle Joseph, trekked with his Sailors to the Mendips, special for the Lead, metal there; or Cornwall or Wales, etc, Tin Copper and Gold; to trade for these metals there that don't exist in the Joseph of Arimathea, area; while though with the Med Coast at hand, Greek and Egyptian sailing / sea ships take in more thousands of years back in time again,.. Quite a few miles inland and with the Sea a long way away - at Glastonbury, or Pilton - the Village name where the Glastonbury Festival Worthy Farm is located.. there is also a Pylle, near Pilton, nearby; that both these names mean a 'landing place' in an old or early English. The Somerset Levels is probably the best well known, if not classic 'reclaimed land' area of England; where the seawater once reached in - very visible on Ordnace Survey Maps - a flat area, areas; and all reaching out to the Sea, now with the present coastline; and inland including the furthest possible inland locations: at Pilton and Pylle.. And corresponding with a water level that at one time, or at high tide, made these as landing places, half way to Avebury and Stonehenge, so to speak. The unique, freak hill of Glastonbury Tor, surrounded all around by low lying flat and level 'Somerset Levels' would have been a 100% Beacon Hill for inward and coastal sea traffic to use as a guide, beacon - with the Tor and Abbey and Town area in their time one of the 'Levels' 'Five Islands' And so Pilton and Pylle, the furthest inland landing places, behind Glastonbury Island, heading towards Wiltshire, and some 3 or 4 miles further on inland. behind the Glastonbury Tor Hill and Island... With or without barges with blue glowing stones, as seen in a Limestone Quarry in an evening light, and no surprise, in the corner of a big field that was under the Sea, when the Limestone 'Mump' hilll was created - and round again, furnace-melted at the quarries for processing into Fertiliser for Crop Growing. A Prehistoric Farmer in Cornwall is returning from a trip to the Flint Quarry in Cumberland / Cumbria; with some new Flints, and asks a man at Avebury Rings, can you tell me the Phases of the Moon and Sun Times - i've heard you know all these here" The reply is "Oh that's not eer-to; that's down at the Wood Rings and Stone Rings down the River, and don't ask me the dates" said the Druid-looking old man, "i've forgotten how to count backwards, but Avebury took about 600 years from start to finnish, to build, and Stonehenge took about 1,500 years from start to finish, to build, though that's only what someone said and saying they were from Gobbledy Googleland.

[@Roy-gi5ul]

Thank you for this, Paul. I perceive now that Avebury is not so much a geographic place as part of a continuum in a time line, and this has influenced my thinking regarding every place, as a small snapshot of now, from which a time trail strings out behind. It's obvious really; you just made me think of it and I thank you.

[@johnvanstone5336]

Superb video, much appreciate the work that has gone into this film, excellent stuff

[@pwhitewick]

Many thanks!

[@joewalker643]

I think that final point really makes sense. Ive always wondered when ive visited stone circles and henges across wessex "why right here?" Youd think they would feature prominently in the landscape and be very deliberate about their placement but that rarely seems the case. (For example Stonehenge isn't built on the flattest part of the hill its on nor is it on the highest point of it's surroundings) Linking the location to something significant that occurred there and the structures being a way of marking that would make sense with their unusual placement.

[@pixelpeter3883]

Wow, that was interesting; to hear and learn about those new insights!

[@judithafholland]

Fantastic. For 50 years I've wondered where they interred the ordinary people because only a select few were interred in long barrows.

[@TrevsTravelsByNarrowboat]

I have not been to Avebury for about 20 years, but I used to love visiting it when I lived in Basingstoke.

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi Paul, as always very interesting and really well put together, well done!! I can imagine the circles and henges having a use or perhaps many uses over time. The one that gets me is Silbury Hill I really can't fathom that one out and its truly enormous. Following Darren's video I spent a bit of time looking for stone circles down here, none nearby but there are 359 in an area on the Basque Country, 359!! Great video. All the best!!

[@barbarabauling7513]

Beautifully created. Well done. Thanks for shedding some more light on the whole mystery of that area. :)

[@pwhitewick]

Many thanks!

[@paulberen]

The conclusion has answered all of the questions, thank you Paul - for all the hillforts, fortified settlements, memorials, ceremonials, etc; and so as for "a changeing living entity" ....This full quote, as above, puts the overall issue of Ancient locations being in use across periods of thousands of years, into focus.. Maybe the house in the rectangle in the first of the circles at Avebury was the house of the Neolithic Astronomer, from Devizes, with his Dividers: two pointed sticks pegged at one end, used for measurement and making circles. Nobody mentions The Great Avebury Amesbury Arc, though it's blatantly visible on any map with roads and including Avebury and Stonehenge. With Avebury and Stonehenge centres as two ends of the Arc Line, the centre of the Circle of the Arc is next to Upavon, on the River Avon, that rises near Avebury and passes by Durrington, Avebury and Stonehenge. To follow the Avebury Amesbury Arc Line Route, and beginning at Avebury, take the Road Sign Post saying Roundway, and so follow this road the round way to Stonehenge, via Devizes and Rollestone.

[@vsvnrg3263]

bbc did a doco nearly 40 years ago about this area. there was a dowser assessing where there should have been stones.

[@crookedhands2701]

Quality as always!

[@pwhitewick]

Much appreciated!

[@patrickselden5747]

Fascinating, Paul! Thank you very much... ☝️😎

[@LKBRICKS1993]

Great video really enjoyed it very interesting history.

[@pwhitewick]

Many thanks!

[@davidtabb3678]

What we really need is a visual depiction of the time line of all of the monuments in the area of Avebury Stonehenge Slibury etc. I’ve watched a lot of your videos ( and enjoyed them immensely), and now would like for all these dispersed pieces of information to be brought together in one place. Do you think it’s possible ¿?

[@pwhitewick]

Yup, that would be very useful.

[@ChristinaEdley]

Your channel is like a festival of good moods and fun moments. Keep lifting our spirits with your beautiful creativity!💴🛖🎂

[@GS-lu2zu]

Spam bot back again 😂

[@GC-rf2st]

Brilliant as usual😁

[@bathroomjon1]

Great video as always - cheers

[@katey7352]

Thank you, thank you for all you are doing. I love all your videos. I have to admit that the way you tell stories, explain all details, your energy and your tone of voice make me wish you would have replace Sir Tony in Time Team productions. Keep bringing us happiness with your wonderful videos and discoveries.

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you, very kind.

[@henchy3rd]

Yet again, another splendid educational video from Paul. T’would be interesting if a geologist checked out all the old buildings to see if they could identify stones that came from far away(don’t belong to the erea). Which could indicate they were once part of the stone antiquities.

[@davie941]

nice one yet again Paul , very well done and thank you 😊

[@allenatkins2263]

The BBC should put your program on. You are a natural.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks, that's very kind.

[@Steve-gc5nt]

Or maybe even a quality broadcaster could.

[@bjbest]

History Hit?

[@Castlelong333]

Bbc only do lies and propaganda

[@Castlelong333]

@@allenatkins2263 bbc only do propaganda

[@jasonfields9678]

Love your videos Paul

[@blxtothis]

As usual, a wonderful presentation Paul, keep up the great work.

[@pwhitewick]

Many thanks!

[@Gang-zy7lq]

I love these history lessons i do

[@seigokarasu-z5c]

Perhaps spuriously, I conjecture that the rise of complex structures surrounding homesteads leading to a burial site for generations that have traveled extensively fits with the odyssean song line. Two long separated human/hominid populations brought together by the expanding seacraft of one group. Colonization and intermarriage leading to a new civilization. Probably a bit much for archaeology. I should figure out how to call Netflix...

[@sianwarwick633]

Impressive bringing together of research into the Southwest of Britain, including Avebury and its monuments. Now we have to ask, what was it especially that drew people to that place.

[@marieascot]

A fantastically well produced video.

[@helenswan705]

Avebury is incredibly interesting and one good thing, 'they' have not taken it away from us. We can still go there. I miss Stonehenge!!

[@scotbotvideos]

Dude, I've seen Children of the Stones, a 1970s documentary about the true origin of the monument. Nobody can't tell me that it is not accurate; I won't have it. 😉😉😉

[@matthewbooth9265]

personally I think the film the Quartermass Conclusion was probably the real reason for the stones:)

[@davidrowley-ic6dx]

Highly thought provoking video and much enjoyed. It is quite clear that we need to maintain immense respect for our ancestors ... these ancient peoples existed in an incredibly rich cultural landscape, one that stretched across Europe and up through to the the islands off the north coast of Scotland ... one that appears to have embraced everyone within its circuit of influence .... one that had the means and the confidence to lug hefty chunks of stone over hundreds of miles from one end of the UK to the other. Truly amazing ... haven't we done well for ourselves ?? ... they'd be sooooo proud 🙄

[@mendyman]

Great video. Enthralling. Nicely paced.

[@pwhitewick]

Much appreciated!

[@richieixtar5849]

Again very interesting and a pause for thought too.

[@unitycalling4676]

Back in the 90s I chose Avebury as my favourite place to go. Then after a 5 years in Scotland 2010 I moved to Corsham nearby. I transferred to the Swindon Branch of DPD which was in Wootton Basset. By luck I was given Avebury as my round. I was in heaven. When you are a delivery driver you get to go into properties off piste. The circle you mentioned for instance. There are a lot of rocks about. small to large. Has anybody ever tested those smaller rocks for where they came from? I live on the Isle of Wight now and still have connections with Corsham so look forward to visiting it again soon. Did you look at the rock they call Romeo and Juliet?

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

It is interesting to see how skills grew by looking at the various [standing] stones in the area from those that are just as they might have been raised from the ground with no after-work at all through to those later that have been very carefully shaped.

[@MarkStiles]

Great video, really interesting - as I was following along on Google Maps I came across Fyfield and the valley of stones - didn't even know that existed!

[@pwhitewick]

Quite something isn't it.

[@martinbarker2316]

Brilliant episode Paul

[@andrewduke1489]

Such a fascinating place. Nice work.

[@peterhaslund]

Wonderfully informative!

[@SteamCrane]

One of your best!

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you. Very kind.

[@bigbasil1908]

In continuing to add to a monument you are keeping the memory of the ancestors before you, alive. It makes sense to start a monument from the middle, with the stones or the dead trees. We were an artistic people and we lived both in the real world and the world of imagination. And then, along came the Romans... And here we are today. An infinite descending spiral into some abyss. Lol

[@LeeDon76]

It was wonderful to see Avebury and hear you talk about it. Avebury was a highlight of my visit to Britain from Australia and I wish I could go back for a longer time.

[@francescadixon2584]

Very interesting.

[@pwhitewick]

I think so too!