Was the world-famous Avebury stone circle actually a bustling ancient residential hub?

History · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Archaeological evidence suggests that the iconic Avebury stone circle served as more than just a sacred site. Professor Alice Roberts examines findings that reveal our ancestors lived and worked within this monument, challenging long-held assumptions about how these Neolithic structures functioned and their relationship to nearby Stonehenge.

Recent excavations provide a new perspective on Avebury, indicating that the site was a domestic space rather than exclusively ceremonial. This discovery is reshaping the academic understanding of how Neolithic communities interacted with their monumental landscapes, offering a direct link to the daily lives of people in the west of Britain.

The research also highlights other significant finds from the region, including a Viking invasion camp and a collection of Iron Age gold torcs discovered in Staffordshire. These torcs, which represent the oldest Iron Age gold found in Britain, were mysteriously abandoned approximately 2,500 years ago.

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