Stone Circles Avebury

The Avebury Henge was constructed between 2600 and 2500 BC. From the 14th century onwards, the monument began to be dismantled, often at the behest of the Christian church, with many stones being buried. A legend about a barber, said to have been crushed by a falling stone during such an operation, led to the discovery of a skeleton by Alexander Keiller in 1938. However, more recent investigations in 1999 indicated that the man likely did not die from the stone but was buried beneath it for unknown reasons. In the 17th and 18th centuries, further stones were removed for agricultural land and as building material, often split by heating and then dousing them with cold water. The scholar John Aubrey recognized the prehistoric significance of the site as early as 1648, which William Stukeley later referred to as the "Temple of British Druids." Excavations took place in the 1920s, and in 1930, many stones were re-erected by the National Trust.

The Avebury Stone Circle is located in the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, at an elevation of approximately 159 m above sea level.

The remains of this ancient town are freely accessible. Visitors can gain further insights at the Alexander Keiller Museum, housed in a historic barn, and in the medieval village church, which also hosts the tourist information.