Prehistoric
On our way to The Standing Stones at Avebury, we were introduced to some prehistoric sightings along the road. This area is scattered with monuments dating back 6,000 years. People living in this area were hunters and gatherers and when agriculture began, so did the monuments. Why did they do this? Well, I will paraphrase what Roy, our guide, explained to us. His knowledge and theories come from extensive research, including undergrad work on this topic.
The monuments marked the land. They gave a sense of belonging and ownership, a way to give meaning to life. Monuments were always situated in river valleys, located away from civilian settlements. Early people looked at the river as the cycle of life believing the river was a gateway to the spirit world. It is believed they would take the dead down the river and perform a ceremony inside the stone circle, allowing the dead to pass to the other side. And to complete that cycle of life, women gave birth in the inner circle. We may never really know the truth, but we could probably agree that erecting these monuments was quite the feat for that time. |