Located near the village of
Avebury in
England, Silbury Hill is a large flat-topped
artificial mound. It is nearly 130 feet high with a base
circumference of about 1640 feet and is composed mainly of
chalk and
soil. The hill was built in three stages, with the earliest stage begun
circa 2660 B.C.. The final stage consisted of the building of six concentric
terraces of
chalk which were covered with
flint,
gravel and
soil to form a cone-shaped mound.
The original purposes of Silbury Hill remains unknown, although there are many legends attached to the site. One legend claims that the site is the burial place of a forgotten King; while other claim that a solid gold horse and rider lurk within. One of the more popular explanations for the hill is that it served as a symbolic effigy for the Mother Goddess and represents fertility; another popular explanation is that the hill was used as a solar observatory.
Sources: Megalithic Sites and Mounds (Maintained by Chris Witcombe)
Fortean Times Online