The Mystery of an Unsolved Legend in England

Silbury Hill: A Prehistoric Enigma

Nestled near Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire, England, lies Silbury Hill, a colossal prehistoric manmade mound. Despite extensive research, the exact purpose of the earthwork remains shrouded in mystery, and a plethora of legends surrounding it have yet to be deciphered.

Gold and UFOs

Theories abound as to why Silbury Hill exists. Tales woven by local lore and curious tourists alike speculate on everything from its connection to demons to its potential extraterrestrial origins.

Some claim that Silbury is the burial site of King Sil, a legendary invincible knight. It is believed that his spirit haunts the site after being interred in Silbury, complete with his golden armor and loyal steed. Rumors persist of their skeletal remains transformed into vast gold reserves hidden deep within the mound's core.

Despite extensive excavations, no trace of King Sil or any substantial gold has been discovered. Other legends speak of gold concealed within the labyrinthine tunnels rumored to lie beneath Silbury. Due to its seemingly supernatural properties, some believe that demons sought refuge in Wiltshire, burying a golden idol with potent powers and piling earth upon it to form Silbury Hill.

Legends even portray the devil attempting to blanket Marlborough, a nearby town, in a suffocating dust storm by dropping earth from the sky. However, the cunning monks intervened, using their righteous power to redirect the earth to its present location, rendering Silbury Hill a symbol of their triumph over evil.

In addition to its ghostly reputation, Silbury Hill is also marked by enigmatic crop circles. Conspiracy theorists posit that extraterrestrials constructed these formations as landing pads for their spacecraft. Accounts suggest that Silbury Hill is among the favored spots for unidentified flying objects (UFOs), with frequent sightings of saucer-shaped crafts patrolling the area.

Fruitless Excavations

Standing approximately 130 feet tall with a diameter of 525 feet, Silbury Hill is the largest prehistoric monument in Britain. Radiocarbon dating indicates its construction began during the late Neolithic period and took place in three distinct stages. Research suggests that the mound reached its completion around the mid-24th century BC.

However, most scientific consensus leans towards a possible "hiatus" of several hundred years between the second and third phases of Silbury Hill's construction, resulting in its structural stability being established around the 21st century BC.

Weathering has likely reduced the height of Silbury Hill by over three feet, eroding its surface soil and stripping it of the surrounding chalk layer. In the late 18th century, miners extensively excavated the surrounding area but yielded no significant findings. Similarly, archaeological digs conducted by various teams throughout the 19th and 20th centuries proved equally inconclusive.

Archaeologists propose that the Normans converted the mound into a formidable defensive earthwork, safeguarding secret burial grounds integral to the ancient Northern European way of life. Burial beneath mounds, accompanied by grave goods, was common during prehistoric times, serving as a way to honor the dead and offer protection to their descendants. Long barrows, housing spirits released from their mortal bodies, mirrored the living quarters of the time.

However, towards the end of the Neolithic period, barrows lost their elongated shape and transitioned into circular mounds. This stylistic shift suggests that Silbury Hill represents an example of such a transition, with its round shape acting as a protective shield against disturbances of the soul's eternal slumber, giving rise to legends of demons discouraging excavation attempts.

Ecological Burial?

A cross-section of Silbury Hill reveals three distinct layers. The innermost layer, Silbury 1, consists of a chalk base topped with alternating layers of earth and chalk rubble. Silbury 2 is also composed of earth and chalk, while the outermost layer, Silbury 3, is characterized by numerous ditches.

The prevailing theory suggests that the earth used to construct Silbury Hill was either river alluvium or clay excavated from a nearby waterway. However, a minority of researchers believe it to be a dark-colored humus resulting from a natural decomposition process initiated by bacteria, fungi, and ultimately earthworms, in other words—worm compost.

These researchers argue that Silbury was not a platform for rituals or ceremonies but a prehistoric burial site. Silbury's chalk base, wooden stakes, and stone walls served as a worm enclosure.

Grass, the worms' sustenance, was laid above the chalk. Although worms dislike grass, they readily consume decaying grass, and with no escape route, they were forced to feed on it.

The reason for the prehistoric Britons' worm captivity likely stems from a desire for corpse disposal. Dismembering bodies was a common burial practice in Neolithic Europe. It is plausible that Silbury was constructed and colonized by worms to expedite the decomposition of the deceased. The worms, feeding on both the grass and the bodies, excreted dark humus, resembling the soil used in its construction.

The chalk layers interspersed between the soil may have served as a barrier above the decaying bodies, keeping the worms contained and forcing them to break down the remains. Due to chalk's soft, porous nature, the weight of subsequent grass and body layers would have crushed it, allowing the worms to tunnel upwards and continue their decomposition work.

Over centuries, Silbury's mass grave gradually grew in height and width, transforming into the hill it is today. In 2013, analysis of soil samples from Silbury Hill revealed an abundance of worm dung.

The hypothesis of a "prehistoric ecological burial site" gains credibility, yet it remains inconclusive due to the absence of human skeletal remains within Silbury Hill.

To this day, the true purpose of Silbury Hill, constructed by the Neolithic people of England, eludes us. Located near the Neolithic stone circle monument of Avebury in Wiltshire, Southwest England, it forms part of Wiltshire's prehistoric trio designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Silbury – Avebury – Stonehenge.