Near Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire, England, lies the massive prehistoric artificial mound known as Silbury Hill.
To date, numerous studies have been conducted on Silbury Hill, yet the precise purpose of this mound remains unresolved, along with the myriad legends surrounding it related to gold, demons, and extraterrestrials.
Gold and UFOs
Currently, researchers are fiercely debating the reason for the existence of Silbury Hill. Many tales have been spun about this site by anyone intrigued by Silbury, whether they are locals well-versed in its lore or curious tourists drawn to a place said to be linked with… demons.
Some believe that Silbury is the final resting place of King Sil, renowned as an invincible knight in legend. The ghost of King Sil is said to haunt the entire area after he was buried at Silbury in his pristine golden armor alongside his horse, which accompanied him throughout his battles. There are rumors that the remains of the mysterious king and his horse have turned into large blocks of gold, hidden deep within the tomb at Silbury.
Silbury Hill is more than just a mound said to be haunted.
However, despite several excavations, no traces of King Sil or the supposed vast treasures have been found. Numerous other stories also mention gold cleverly hidden within mazes buried beneath Silbury. Its uniquely strange position “inviting” dark forces and demons to seek out Wiltshire and bury a golden statue imbued with mystical powers within the earth, further contributing to the layers of soil that formed Silbury Hill as we see it today.
There are even legends describing how demons, wanting to dominate the world, conceived the idea of dropping earth from above to create dust storms that would force the people of Marlborough (a town and civil parish in Wiltshire) to flee. However, monks thwarted this sinister plot and used their virtuous power to compel the demons to drop the earth at the current location of Silbury, thereby creating the earthen mound linked to the ancient symbol of “demon suppression.”
Silbury Hill is not just a haunted mound, but it also marks the presence of some mysterious circles. Most conspiracy theorists believe that extraterrestrials constructed these landmarks as landing sites for spacecraft.
According to many records, Silbury Hill is among the “favorite” sites for Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), frequently marked by flying saucers during each visit to Earth. In fact, many locals claim to have seen large disc-shaped objects hovering in the sky around this area.
Unsuccessful Excavations
Silbury Hill stands approximately 40 meters high, with a diameter of 160 meters, making it the largest prehistoric monument in England. Carbon dating indicates that construction of Silbury began around the end of the Neolithic period and occurred in three consecutive phases. Many studies speculate that this mound was completed in the middle of the 24th century BC.
However, most scientific views lean towards the assumption that there may have been a “break” lasting several hundred years between the second and third phases of Silbury Hill’s construction, leading to the structure stabilizing only around the 21st century BC.
Silbury Hill may have suffered from weathering, resulting in the erosion of its foundational soil and the disappearance of stone layers around the base of the mound, causing its estimated height today to be over 1 meter lower than at its formation. By the late 18th century, many miners focused on excavating around Silbury Hill but yielded no positive results. Meanwhile, excavations conducted by various research groups in the 19th and 20th centuries also found no significant traces.
Archaeologists believe that the Norman people transformed the mound into a massive earthen tower for defensive purposes, protecting secret burial sites in the lives of ancient Nordic inhabitants. In fact, burying the dead beneath mounds (along with treasures) was quite common in prehistoric times, serving as a way to honor the deceased’s spirit with the hope that their descendants would be protected. Long burial mounds—shelters for spirits that have escaped the body—were designed to resemble the homes of the living.
However, by the end of the Neolithic period, these burial mounds lost their elongated shapes and gradually became round. This has led researchers to believe that Silbury Hill is a testament to the changing style of burial mounds used for interment. Additionally, the high mound, resembling a giant shield, prevents disturbances to the eternal rest of the souls, which is why tales of demons arose to deter anyone wishing to excavate Silbury Hill.
Ecological Burial?
Silbury Hill may have been a body disposal site using… worms by prehistoric Britons. (Photo: English-heritage.org.uk).
A cross-section diagram of Silbury reveals three main layers. The innermost layer—Silbury 1 has a base of gravel, with alternating layers of soil and chalk above it. Silbury 2 also consists of soil and chalk, while the outermost layer—Silbury 3 features numerous trenches. Most researchers agree that the earth used to build Silbury is alluvial soil or mud excavated from a nearby riverbed.
However, a small number of researchers believe that it is black humus resulting from natural decomposition, initiated by bacteria and fungi and completed by earthworms, in other words, worm compost.
For this small group of researchers, Silbury is not a standing platform or a ceremonial site, but rather a burial place for prehistoric people. Silbury, with its gravel base, wooden pole walls, and boulders, serves as a prison for worms.
Above the gravel layer, grass was placed as food for the worms. Although worms do not typically eat grass, they can consume decayed grass, and in a context where they cannot escape, they have no choice but to eat the grass.
The reason prehistoric Britons kept worms is likely for disposal purposes. In Neolithic Europe, the common burial method was to dismember the body. It is highly probable that
Silbury was constructed and worms were nurtured to accelerate the decomposition of the deceased. The worms consume both grass and bodies, excreting black humus, similar to alluvial soil.
The chalk layers interspersed among the soil layers may be materials placed on top of the body fragments, serving to temporarily trap the worms below, compelling them to decompose the body pieces. Because chalk is soft and crumbly, when covered by layers of grass and body fragments, it breaks down, allowing the worms to burrow upward and continue decomposing the next layer of bodies.
Over the centuries, the communal grave of Silbury grew taller and expanded, eventually forming the hill we see today. In 2013, analyses of soil samples from Silbury Hill revealed they were filled with worm excrement.
The hypothesis of “prehistoric ecological burial” becomes increasingly credible, but it remains unconvincing as no human bones have been found within Silbury Hill.
To this day, the world has yet to verify what the Neolithic Britons built Silbury Hill for.
Silbury Hill is located near the Neolithic stone circle site of Avebury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is considered part of the trio of prehistoric sites recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, which includes: Silbury – Avebury – Stonehenge.
