Avebury Cosmos

The Neolithic World of Avebury henge, Silbury Hill, West Kennet long barrow, the Sanctuary & the Longstones Cove 
Nicholas Mann

Published by O-Books, 2011
ISBN 978 1 84694 000 0

Following extensive research into the Avebury complex, Nicholas Mann offers a compelling view into the world of the Neolithic monument-builders in his latest work, Avebury Cosmos, producing a set of powerful insights into ancient cosmology with relevance today.

Avebury Cosmos takes a fresh look at the World Heritage Site that includes  not just the Avebury henge, but also West Kennet long barrow and Silbury Hill. Nicholas Mann combines archaeology, astronomy and anthropology to offer an original and convincing account of the building of these extraordinary Neolithic monuments, revealing the reverence of the Neolithic people to Sun, Moon and stars, balancing archaeology with astronomy, offering the most complete perspective on Avebury yet published.

The ancient Britons were inspired by a profound knowledge of the heavens when they erected the monumental stones of Avebury. Mann throws light on the motive behind the creation of its awe-inspiring mounds and megaliths by demonstrating that they were aligned to the cycles of the Sun, Moon and stars.

This book will help visitors and readers to see Avebury in a wholly new light - the light of the heavenly bodies that guided its Neolithic builders. Avebury Cosmos claims to reawaken our ancient reverence for the stars and deepen our respect for the extraordinary abilities and forgotten knowledge of our prehistoric ancestors.

Contents:
Introduction
Acknowledgements

1. Neolithic Astronomy
The Monument-Builders
Avebury Astronomy
Neolithic Cosmos
A Relative Chronology

2.A Sky-Watcher's Paradise
Avebury Henge
Dating Avebury
Stones & Foresights
Inner Circles of the Moon
Time Stones
Assembling Avenury
The Impact of Avebury

3. Windmill Hill & The Mystery of the Moving Stars
The First Settlers: Windmill Hill
The Midwinter Sky
West Kennet Long Barrow & Alpha Centauri
The Northern Pole
The Axial Centre
Sirius: Star of Fertility & the Winter Solstice Sun
Midwinter over Martinsell Hill
A Prologue to Precession
Exact Calendars
The Question of Precession
The Milky Way

4. Avebury: In the Image of the Milky Way
The Great Henge
Silbury Hill & the Southern Stars
Crux: a Southern Cross in the Northern Skies
A Bear Mother Cult?
The Fall of the Milky Way, 4000 - 2000 BCE

5. The Crux-Centaurus Stars
Alpha & Beta Centauri
Stars & Stones: The View from Avebury
Ancient Symbols of Fertility & Healing
The D Feature
The Changing Galaxy

6. Silbury Hill
Mound of the Ancestors
World Mountain
King Sil & Wayland's Smithy
Mound of the Stars

7. The Longstone Cove & Other Enclosures
Adam, Eve & the Beckhamptoon Avenue
Tracking Sirius
Feasts & Games: the West Kennet Palisade Enclosures

8. The Sanctuary at the Crossroads
The Sanctuary
West Kennet Avenue
The Sanctuary & Capella
The Sanctuary & Silbury hill
'A Conspicous and Convenient Notch'
Crossroads of the Stars
The Horns of Taurus

9. Return to Avebury
Avebury Cove
Stars of Precession
A Place in the Cosmos
An astral Drama
Venerating Avebury; The Cosmic Crosses
Sex, Gender & the Avebury Stones
The Roots of the Land: The Two Dragons

10. In the Neolithic World
Self-consciousness in the New Stone Age
The World Tree
Sacred Stones: the Anima Mundi
Animism & Cosmoslogy
The Inner Sanctum
Summary

11. Monuments of Power: from Moon & Stars to Sun
The Rise of Theocracy
The Late Neolithic Elite
Merlin, Stonehenge & Avebury
Gender & Power
Great Ritual Centres
The Stonehenge Sun

Appendix 1: Precession
Appendix 2: The Crossroads of the Ecliptic & the Galaxy
Appendix 3: The Lunar Cycles & Eclipses
Bibliography
Index

From the Introduction:

“Five thousand years ago, an extraordinary sight was visible in the night sky over the British Isles. Every winter night, over the course of several hours, the Neolithic people of Britain saw the galaxy form a complete circle around the horizon. At the same time, the brilliant stars of Crux, the Southern Cross, as well as alpha and beta Centauri, were visible in the southern sky. These first-magnitude giants were embedded like radiant jewels within the complete ring of the Milky Way. This awe-inspiring sight was due to a slow, 26,000-year rotation of the axis of the Earth, known as precession of the equinoxes. Those of us who live at this latitude today can no longer see these southern stars: only our distant ancestors were privileged to see the expanse of the galaxy extending around the horizon.

In this book I describe how the unique night skies of their time inspired and influenced the people who built Avebury henge, Windmill Hill, Silbury Hill the Longstones Cove, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow and other Neolithic monuments near the source of the River Kennet, in Wiltshire, Britain. I show that these awe-inspiring monuments were closely orientated to the sky, that their makers were familiar with not only the cycles of the Sun and the Moon but also those of the stars.

Extensive evidence assembled in the relatively new research field of archaeoastronomy has now confirmed beyond any doubt that when European prehistoric peoples began to build their first monuments they possessed considerable knowledge of the heavens. This knowledge had presumably been developed over tens of thousands of years, in the previous hunter-gatherer Mesolithic and Palaeolithic eras, as part of a rich, oral, mythic and spiritual tradition. Like all tribal peoples these people experienced the world as full of a purposeful and animating force, an anima mundi or world spirit. This power was present on the earth in all life forms, as well as in the sky: as thunder, lightning, fire, Sun, Moon and stars. The Neolithic Britons would have venerated these powers in their stories and traditions, as well as in their skilfully constructed structures of earth, wood, and finally stone.

Indeed, its builders conceived Avebury on such a scale that it seems their goal was to incorporate the spirit of everything into the fabric of their monument. The Neolithic people wanted Avebury to be  a mirror of the cosmos, a place that honoured, told and retold all its stories, on earth and in the heavens. They pursued this objective with extraordinary hard work, dragging megaliths and carrying chalk over many centuries, until they had laid out a monumental centre that still moves us today. This place was a powerful expression of their identity, and of their relationship with the surrounding forces of nature and the cosmos.”

Nicholas R. Mann is an internationally respected speaker and author who has spent a lifetime exploring the wisdom of ancient peoples. Born on a farm in Sussex, his first job was as a herdsman. After studying at University College London he obtained a degree in anthropology and ancient history, then he settled in the high desert of the USA where he built and lived in a house made from wood cut from the forest, tended horses, tracked the wildlife and drew his water from a spring. This lifestyle helped Mann to develop an extraordinary sensitivity to the powers of nature, along with a deep respect for tribal culture. He befriended the Hopi elder White Bear, and was honoured by the Yavapai Apache for his research into their native traditions. As a result of these experiences he realised the importance of honouring his own distant cultural heritage. In 2000 Mann returned to Britain to promote greater understanding of its ancient sites and cosmology.

Mann is the author of many books on Earth Mysteries, sacred geometry and prehistoric wisdom including 'The Isle of Avalon'' & 'The Star Temple of Avalon'. His books have sold more than 100,000 copies, with editions appearing in many languages. He has written books on the Sacred Geometry of Washington, D.C., Power points in Sedona, energy secrets of Glastonbury Tor and a classic book on the Red & White springs of Glastonbury. He is a regular speaker and often appears at the Megalithomania conference.

Arthur's Hunting Path
Nicholas Mann has determined that the alignment of Arthur's Hunting Path, a Neolithic trackway from the summit of Glastonbury Tor to Queen Anne’s Well, South Cadbury, in Somerset, is orientated toward critical points in the moon's cycle. He found that when joining the sites of Glastonbury Tor, Cadbury Castle, Hamdon Hill and Barrow Mump it formed a parallelogram, or diamond, with equidistant sides of 11 miles each.


Nicholas Mann & Philipa Glasson's website: The British Mystery School of Avalon 

* * *

Massacre at Fin Cop

 Archaeologists question the common perception of Iron Age Britain enjoying a golden age of peace before Roman and later invasions following a gruesome discovery in a Derbyshire hill fort's defensive ditch.

Archaeologists Claim Evidence of a Massacre at Fin Cop
Following initial excavations in 2009 at the site of the Iron Age hillfort of Fin Cop near Monsal Head, Derbyshire, in which Longstone Local History Group specifically targeted how and when the ramparts were erected, archaeologists were surprised to find a prehistoric skeleton in the rock-cut ditch outside the ramparts. [1]

The 10 acre site at Fin Cop, dated to between 440  and 390 BC (Middle Iron Age), is heavily fortified by double bank and ditches to the south and east, while to the north and west the deep limestone gorge of Monsal Dale falls away to the river Wye below. The valley here, complete with Monsal Dale viaduct, is one of the Derbyshire Peak District beauty spots.

Monsal Dale

The main rampart had been deliberately reduced and much of the stone pushed into the rock cut ditch. During this destruction a human corpse had been, seemingly, unceremoniously thrown in as part of the ditch fill with the rampart debris. The adult body appeared to have been thrown haphazardly into the ditch possibly which the archaeologists conjectured was possibly as a result of hostilities. Tests carried out on the skeleton have revealed it was that of a pregnant woman, dating from 400 to 200 BC, which surprised experts as they had believed remains at Fin Cop to be from a military context such as a battle scene between local tribes.

Test pits at the site revealed hundreds of chipped stone artefacts such as scrapers for working animal hides dated to the Mesolithic era (10500-3900 BC).

Additional lottery funding has permitted further excavations to take place at Fin Cop which have revealed that the hillfort was destroyed before it had been completed. The defences appear to have been built hastily perhaps in anticipation of some forthcoming catastrophe; a second, outer wall and ditch had been started but not finished. The fort's stone wall had been broken apart and the rubble used to fill the 400m perimeter ditch. In this ditch they found a further eight skeletons. [2]

In addition to the skeleton of the pregnant woman found beneath the collapsed stone wall in  2009, the remains of a teenage boy were discovered huddled at the bottom of the ditch, along with seven more skeletons, all women or children. Burials are relatively rare from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age; deposits from the period typically characterised by the presence of single bone deposits at both hillforts and settlements. For example a human skull dating to the Early Iron Age was found in Aylesbury hillfort ditch where it is thought to have been placed as a ritual commemoration of the boundary. However, the Middle Iron Age saw a dramatic increase in the number of formal inhumation burials on settlements, albeit in storage pits, with a corresponding decrease in the number of single bone deposits.

The boundaries of settlements are increasingly being recognised as much of social and symbolic significance in addition to serving a practical function and the appearance of deposits of human bone in such contexts should not necessarily be seen as surprising. However, the find of the nine skeletons is reportedly the first time that carelessly-placed Iron Age burials have been found in the UK, which archaeologists are interpreting as the selective massacre of women, babies, a toddler and a single teenage male.

The archaeological team believe they were probably massacred after the fort was attacked and captured. All were found in a 10m long section of ditch, the only part to be excavated to date. The ditch was 5m wide with 2m deep vertical edges and would have guarded a 4m high perimeter wall. Animal bones, also found in the ditch, suggest the fort's inhabitants kept cattle, sheep and pigs. There were also remains from horses which has been interpreted as indicating some of the hillfort's inhabitants were of high status.

Dr Clive Waddington, who directed the two-year dig for Archaeological Research Services, said the findings provide a rare insight into warfare in pre-Roman Britain; "There has been an almost accepted assumption amongst many archaeologists that hill forts functioned as displays of power, prestige and status and that warfare in the British Iron Age is largely invisible."

He added, "The gruesome discoveries at Fin Cop have reopened the debate on the purpose of hill forts. For the people living here, the hurriedly constructed fort was evidently intended as a defensive work in response to a very real threat." [3]

However, talk of an Iron Age massacre appears to be premature at this stage as none of the nine skeletons show signs of violence, suggesting the cause of death may have been from disease, such as plague. Furthermore, at this stage we cannot rule out the possibility of a votive deposit; there is increasing evidence that human pit burials, often found close to the settlement limits, do not represent the normal Iron Age burial rite, but have some other significance, possibly representing sacrificial offerings. This is supported by the absence of adult male remains in the ditch at Fin Cop.

It must be stressed that only 10 metres of the 400 metre long ditch have so far been investigated, yet archaeologists suspect the remains of hundreds more victims may lie in the neighbouring stretch of ditch. With further excavations yet to be completed we should exercise caution until a fuller picture can be constructed.

Local Folklore
Monsal Dale is one of the most picturesque sites in the Peak District and an area steeped in folklore and superstition. Although there is no public access to the hilfort at Fin Cop you can walk through this atmospheric valley of the river Wye from Monsal Dale. Across the A6 road, opposite Fin Cop, is the steep-sided limestone gorge known as Demon's Dell, complete with overhanging ferns and mosses it is somewhat reminiscent of Lud's Church near Leek in Staffordshire. Excavations at Demon's Dell have unearthed cremation urns dating from c.2500BC.

On the northern side of Fin Cop is a fissure in the limestone, a landslip cave known as Hob's House, or Hob Thirst Hole, Hob Hurst's House or Hob Hurts Cave and often confused with Thirst House Cave on the Eastern flank of Deepdale at King Sterndale, towards Buxton, and the Hob Hursts House burial chamber, just over half mile north east of Park gate stone circle on on Harland Edge, near Bakewell, where is said if visiting after dusk you can apparently hear the voices of the original inhabitants.

Local legend states that Hob was a giant who came out at night to thresh the corn of local farmers, who in turn would reward him with a bowl of cream. There are many references to the sprite in Derbyshire helping local farmers but if they didn't reward him he would make mischief.

Hob's House is said to have been the home of the giant Hulac Warren who was turned to stone for attempting to violate a shepherdess. During the attack she threw herself to her death and where her body landed a spring of pure water formed. At the bend in the river Wye, near Demon's Dell, stands the Warren Stone, which local lore claims is the petrified remains of the giant.

Hob, the giant Hulac Warren, is depicted in a local rhyme as the Fiddler of Fin:

The piper of Shacklow,
The fiddler of Fin,
The old woman of Demons Dale,
Calls them all in. [4]

*

Sources:
1. A prehistoric 'war grave' found near beauty spot? -  Buxton Advertiser August 2009.
2. Evidence of a massacre at Fin Cop in Derbyshire - Guide to Derby 18 April 2011.
3. Who killed the hill fort nine? The Guardian 09 April 2011
4. Mike Harding, Walking the Peak and Pennines, Michael Joseph, 1992.


For further information: Fin Cop Hillfort: Solving a Debyshire Mystery - Archaeological Research Services Ltd (ARS Ltd)

* * *

Megalithomania Conference 2011

"What were the ancients up to?"

It's only two weeks until Megalithomania holds its sixth consecutive annual conference at Glastonbury on 14th and 15th May 2011 with a full line-up of international Earth Mysteries authors, visionaries and antiquarians, all pondering that same question.

This year with two full days of talks and debates covering all aspects of the megalithic arts and sciences, with speakers including Robert Temple, John Major Jenkins, John Martineau, Christopher Knight, Hugh Newman, Andy Burnham, Peter Knight and Lucy Wyatt.

Itinerary:

SATURDAY 14 May
9.00 – Doors Open
9.45 – Introduction
10.00 - PETER KNIGHT - West Kennet Project
11.30 - LUCY WYATT - Shamanic City States
2.00 - HOWARD CROWHURST - Brittany: Megalithic Origins in France
3.15 - Dr CARMEN BOULTER - Matriachal Societies in Prehistory
4.45 - CHRIS KNIGHT & ALAN BUTLER - Thornborough Henge: Before the Pyramids
7.00 - JOHN MAJOR JENKINS - Mayan & Olmec Time Science

SUNDAY 15 May
9.00 – Introductions & News
9.30 - HUGH NEWMAN - Megaliths of East Anglia
10.45 - ANDY BURNHAM - Obscure Stone Circles around the World
12.00 -SEMIR SAM OSMANAGICH - Pyramids of Europe & Bosnian Update
2.30 - JOHN MICHELL MEMORIAL LECTURE
With JOHN MARTINEAU , hosted by CHRISTINE RHONE
3.45 - ROBERT & OLIVIA TEMPLE - Egyptian Dawn: Re-Dating the Pyramids & the Meditteranean Connection
5.30 - SPEAKERS FORUM - Hosted by JOHN MARTINEAU
6.30 – CLOSING ADDRESS
7.00 - CONFERENCE CLOSES

In addition to the two day conference a number of tours and workshops have been planned:

FRIDAY 13th MAY:
MEGALITHIC SITES AROUND GLASTONBURY
Tour to the Deerleap Stones, Brecon Hill Tumuli and Megalith, and Stanton Drew triple Stone Circles with Geoff Stray and Anthony Thorley.

MONDAY 16th MAY:
THE ANCIENT STONES OF DORSET
Tour of village with Cerne Abbas Chalk Hill Giant, Church visit, Abbey grounds, Sacred well, Hellstone Dolmen (nr Dorchester), Moot Stone, walk to Grey Mare and Her Colts long barrow, Nine Stones stone circle. With Peter Knight.

JOHN MAJOR JENKINS - "The 2012 Story"
Evening Lecture. The untold story of the incredible sequence of events, discoveries and insights that has unlocked the secret of the Mayan calendar end-date of 2012, from one of the worlds leading scholars on the subject.

TUESDAY 17th MAY:
SACRED GLASTONBURY - WALKING TOUR:
Walking tour to Chalice Well, Red & White Springs, Glastonbury Tor, The Egg Stone, Michael & Mary Lines, Glastonbury Abbey.Includes entrance fees to Chalice Well & Abbey, with Anthony Thorley.

JOHN MAJOR JENKINS - "The 2012 Story"
1.30 - 5.30pm: In-depth Workshop exploring Mayan Cosmology, Olmec time-science, Galactic Alignment, Aztec Codex research, Indigineous prophecies, the Tortuguero Inscription and the incredible story of how the ancient secret of 2012 has been revealed.
6.00pm onwards - Optional Full Moon Candlelit Ambient evening at Chalice Well Gardens or Folk Night at The Assembly Rooms, Hosted by Nathan Lewis Williams.

WED 18th MAY GRAND TOUR OF AVEBURY & STONEHENGE
Peter Knight leads a tour of the Great henge at Avebury, dowsing Michael and Mary lines with a viist to West Kennet long barrow (astronomy, dowsing and short acoustic demo with drumming), Woodhenge, Stonehenge environs including barrows, the Avenue and Cursus. Includes a Private Access visit to Stonehenge at 7.45pm to view Full Moon and Sunset. Based on Peter Knight's two books The Wessex Astrum and West Kennet Long Barrow: Landscape, Shamans and the Cosmos.- with special Guest appearances from Andrew Collins & Maria Wheatley.- SOLD OUT.

Following the successful MEGALITHOMANIA EGYPT TOUR, 13th - 26th October 2010 hosted by Robert Bauval [*] and Hugh Newman the organisers of Megalithomania conference have planned two International tours for 2011:

'Megalithomania Solstice Brittany Tour' with Howard Crowhurst & special guest - 14th - 22nd June 2011.

'Bosnia Pyramids and Megalithic Sites' with Semir Sam Osmanagich - 7 days in Early September 2011

Full details at: Megalithomania

*

* Note: Robert Bauval and co-author Thomas Brophy are currently appearing as Author of the Month for May 2011 on the Graham Hancock Message Board discussing their latest book Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt.

* * *