History and Research: Silbury Hill

Silbury Hill is probably the world's largest man-made prehistoric mound.

It is one of the most intriguing sites in the prehistoric landscape of the World Heritage Site, especially as we do not know its purpose or meaning.

Illustration of the first construction at Silbury Hill

The first construction at Silbury was a low mound of gravel. Later, a series of layers of soil, mud and grass turves were added. Several pits were dug into the mound and it may have been edged by stakes.

Origins

At present, it is known only that Silbury was built in the late Neolithic around 2,400 BC.

It stands at 30 metres high and 160 metres wide, and its construction is estimated to have involved roughly 4 million man-hours of work. 500,000 tonnes of material were used; mostly chalk, quarried and cleared from the surrounding terraces and ditches.

The enduring presence of Silbury Hill in the landscape has inspired myths and legends as people have sought to explain its purpose.

In one such legend, Silbury is the burial mound of a mythical King Zel and his horse. The mound is also associated with pagan beliefs and earth mysteries.

Later, construction continued in chalk and clay, which was piled around the mound, sometimes in small banks. The mound was surrounded by a ditch with an internal bank.

Times of change

No one knows why Silbury Hill was built, but we do know that it was during a time of great change in the prehistory of Britain, with new forms of pottery and the first metal-working.

Silbury Hill was not conceived as one monument, but was gradually built up over time to form the monument visible today. It must have been a special place in prehistory, where people gathered for events and episodes of building.

Roman and medieval use

A recent geophysical survey has shown that this monument was later at the centre of a Roman settlement, straddling the nearby A4.

In the medieval period, the top of Silbury was probably flattened and a building, possibly defensive, was constructed on the summit.

The full story of its astonishing archaeology is still unravelling thanks to the recent consolidation works on the hill.

Sources

Whittle, A 1997. 'Sacred mound, holy rings: Silbury Hill and the West Kennet palisade enclosures', Oxford: Oxbow Books

Disclaimer

The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.