Avebury is a village in Wiltshire, England, that is famous for its prehistoric structures. Avebury is on the River Kennet, 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of London. A large earthwork circle surrounds the village, measuring nearly 1,400 feet (427 meters) across and 20 feet (6 meters) high with a deep inner ditch. There are four entrances at the cardinal compass points—north, south, east, and west. Within the circular ditch lies a great circle of massive, irregular sarsen stones (giant sandstone blocks). Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments in southern England also contain sarsen stones. Avebury is just 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Stonehenge.
The great stone circle at Avebury was created around 2500 B.C. and is about 1,000 feet (305 meters) across. Most of the stones are about 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall, but some are more than 20 feet (6 meters) tall and weigh as much as 40 tons (81 metric tons). Originally, at least 98 of the giant stones formed the circle, but just 27 remain. Over the centuries, stones were removed for religious reasons, to clear farmland, and to be broken up and used as building stone. Two smaller stone circles lie within the large outer ring.
Nearby stands Silbury Hill. At 130 feet (40 meters) high, it is the largest tumulus (artificially created mound) in Europe. Silbury Hill and the Avebury henge monument are both World Heritage Sites. Such sites are designated places of unique cultural or natural importance by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). See also Megalithic monuments ; Stonehenge .
