Beckhampton Avenue
Encyclopedia
The Beckhampton Avenue a curving prehistoric avenue
of stones that ran broadly south west from Avebury towards The Longstones
at Beckhampton in the English
county of Wiltshire
. It probably dates to the late Neolithic
and early Bronze Age
.
Only one stone, known as Eve, remains standing now and even in William Stukeley
's day there was little evidence on the surface of the avenue. The other stones were probably broken up and sold by local landowners in the post-medieval era. Excavations by the University of Southampton
in 2000 however revealed the parallel rows of holes that held the stones. 120 m of the avenue was uncovered and indicated that the avenue consisted of a double row of stones placed at 15 m intervals in a similar pattern to those at Kennet Avenue
. Stukeley's theory was that the two avenues were part of a giant 'snake' winding across the landscape with its head at The Sanctuary
and also incorporating Avebury
itself. The avenue may have originally extended further past the Longstones
with Eve being part of the 'cove
' or standing stone arrangement of The Longstones
sited along its course.
Before the avenue was built the site was host to an earlier Neolithic causewayed enclosure
.
Avenue (archaeology)
British Archaeologists refine the general archaeological use of avenue to denote a long, parallel-sided strip of land, measuring up to about 30m in width, open at either end and with edges marked by stone or timber alignments and/or a low earth bank and ditch...
of stones that ran broadly south west from Avebury towards The Longstones
The Longstones
The Longstones or the Devil's Quoits are two standing stones one of which is the remains of what was once a prehistoric 'cove' of standing stones close to Beckhampton in the English county of Wiltshire....
at Beckhampton in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. It probably dates to the late Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
Only one stone, known as Eve, remains standing now and even in William Stukeley
William Stukeley
William Stukeley FRS, FRCP, FSA was an English antiquarian who pioneered the archaeological investigation of the prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, work for which he has been remembered as "probably... the most important of the early forerunners of the discipline of archaeology"...
's day there was little evidence on the surface of the avenue. The other stones were probably broken up and sold by local landowners in the post-medieval era. Excavations by the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
in 2000 however revealed the parallel rows of holes that held the stones. 120 m of the avenue was uncovered and indicated that the avenue consisted of a double row of stones placed at 15 m intervals in a similar pattern to those at Kennet Avenue
Kennet Avenue
Kennet Avenue or West Kennet Avenue is a prehistoric site in the English county of Wiltshire.It was an avenue of two parallel lines of stones 25m wide and 2.5 km in length which ran between the Neolithic sites of Avebury and The Sanctuary...
. Stukeley's theory was that the two avenues were part of a giant 'snake' winding across the landscape with its head at The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is a prehistoric site on Overton Hill located around 5 miles west of Marlborough in the English county of Wiltshire.It is part of a wider Neolithic landscape which includes the nearby sites of Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow and Avebury, to which The Sanctuary was linked by the...
and also incorporating Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles which is located around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, south west England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain...
itself. The avenue may have originally extended further past the Longstones
The Longstones
The Longstones or the Devil's Quoits are two standing stones one of which is the remains of what was once a prehistoric 'cove' of standing stones close to Beckhampton in the English county of Wiltshire....
with Eve being part of the 'cove
Cove (standing stones)
Cove is a term used to describe a tightly concentrated group of large standing stones found in Neolithic and Bronze Age England. Coves are square or rectangular in plan and seem to have served as small enclosures within other henge, stone circle or avenue features. They consist of three or four...
' or standing stone arrangement of The Longstones
The Longstones
The Longstones or the Devil's Quoits are two standing stones one of which is the remains of what was once a prehistoric 'cove' of standing stones close to Beckhampton in the English county of Wiltshire....
sited along its course.
Before the avenue was built the site was host to an earlier Neolithic causewayed enclosure
Causewayed enclosure
A causewayed enclosure is a type of large prehistoric earthwork common to the early Neolithic in Europe. More than 100 examples are recorded in France and 70 in England, while further sites are known in Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Slovakia.The term "causewayed enclosure" is...
.