It’s claimed that Silbury Hill is unique in the UK (and indeed in Europe),however it does appear to have at least two extant relatives, both close geographcically ( and one close in terms of scale), at that, one laying only 6 miles to it’s east in the sleepy market town of Marlborough, and the much closer "Silbaby". It also had one 12 miles away – the Hatfield barrow which was wrecked by Victorian “archaeologists” c 1809 then what remained was leveled by the landowner(it was constructed of sandy soil and like Silbury held no burial) but als that relative is lost.
The Marlborough Mound is Located in the private grounds of Marlborough College, and has suffered Much more over the course of history Than it’s more famous cousin, utilized By the Normans after the conquest as the Motte for a castle (just as Silbury was fortified in Anglo-saxon times, presumably when Silbury’s summit was flattened also), used As a garden feature (the “shell grotto” is Still there), covered with trees, boxed in By the college buildings(making it virtually Invisible)…….and the final indignity, The placing of a water tank on its summit!.
It’s re-use as a motte appears to Have led to it’s being ignored as a contempory of Silbury Hill, although plenty of evidence to it’s pre-historic origin is extant.
Isn’t it about time a serious and Extensive archaeological investigation was Carried out on Silbury’s “twin”, even with the damage done to the Marlborough Mound it could Well shed light on the origins and uses of Silbury Hill and of course it’s self.
Further thought led me to think of Dragon Hill, by the uffington white horse, some 16 miles to the North East of Silbury. Although this hill is almost certainly a natural chalk mound ( though almost perfectly conical), the summit WAS at some time in antiquity levelled to produce a truncated cone similar in appearance to Silbury Hill and Marlborough Mound.
This is of course purely conjecture on my part......but perhaps it was modified to appear like the two man made mounds or they were created to look like it.
Furthermore, There is something Silbury Hill, Marlborough Mound and Dragon Hill all have in common, they all appear to have been utilised as mottes in the early Norman period, or forts in earlier periods........
And in various places around the UK I've seen surviving mottes(with or without surviving stonework) with strikingly similar profiles and of a similar scale, also sites like Burrow Mump at Burrowbridge near Glastonbury which although natural show signs of modification by man.
True Silbury would still Dwarf most other mounds(the marlborough mound coming a close second.....but then the Avebury folk WERE neothlithic over achievers after all.
Which leads me to posit a tentative theory: were these man made mounds common in the landscape, and most just were utilised as mottes, leading historians/archaeologists to assume they were purpose built during the Norman or other later period, Silbury being a lucky exception.
So!......were there once Scores of "Silbury's" or is it an only child?
Before it's assumed i'm a crank....laughs....I'm not promoting this theory, which I personally find unlikely(though possible)....just throwing it out there as a topic of discussion.
