It is a question worth asking, for nowhere in Great Britain can one find such a wealth of prehistoric monuments as those in the Avebury landscape. Stone circles, Avenues of menhirs, Bronze Age Round Barrows, Long Barrows, the Ridgeway, and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are all within walking distance of Avebury itself.
	Avebury hamlet now contains less than 100 inhabitants and is set in the most sparsely populated County in England. Around 5,000 years ago it must have been one of the most densely settled areas, on the evidence of the scale of the monuments still to be seen today. The henge encompasses 28.5 acres and the outer stone circle is the largest in the world. The bank and ditch of today are only one third the height and depth of the original monument. Some of the huge sarsen stones weigh up to 60 tons and come from the vicinity - Piggledene.
	Few people realise that the huge, shaped trilithons of Stonehenge were transported from the Avebury area to the Salisbury plain. This fact suggests that the first largescale organisation of society was that of the Avebury complex and this idea is supported by evidence of early farming acitivity (~4000BC), revealed by excavations at Windmill Hill. The purpose or function of the henge with its dual avenues and two inner circles is unknown. Presumably it was a ceremonial ritual centre of enormous importance. It may have been a huge observatory- the position of various stones plotting the year's path of the sun. Possibly it celebrated the seasons, growth and fertiliy - suggested by male and female stone shapes and the obelisk (fallen in 17th c.). More likely it was a reflection of the celebration of our ancestors' values and civilisation.
	Imagine the motivation, the organisation required, the wealth of a society that could think of and execute such an awe-inspiring monument. This pagan belief lasted longer than the current life of Christianity. As only 4 percent of the henge has been excavated, there may well be further stones to unearth and theories to postulate.
	If the historic market town of Marlborough (Merlin's borough) is the gateway to Ancient Britain, then Avebury is the ideal place to start your journey into the country's prehistoric roots. Come and see for yourself - make your own conclusions. Visit us at The Henge Shop as your starting point.