The Story of Silbury Hill

Silbury Hill is an iconic monument within the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, and the largest prehistoric mound in Europe. Written by two authors with unrivalled information and knowledge of the Hill and combining scholarly research and readable narrative, the book tells the story of the early recognition of its importance and of the later antiquarian and archaeological investigations. Each is described and set within its own historical and political context alongside the extraordinary characters of the time. For the first time, the results of the recent work - the collapse of the summit in 2000 leading to the re-opening of the famous tunnel in 2007 - are set out from firsthand knowledge, and the origins of the monument and the construction techniques fully outlined. The book also describes how the mound was seen and used by later communities and considers what Silbury means to people today

`A superb and authoritative work which communicates all the excitement of the quest to understand the mysteries of Silbury. Essential reading for all interested in British prehistory.'

Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe University of Oxford

`This is the best book on Silbury to date, incorporating the results of all the recent investigations. It manages wonderfully to bring out both why the Hill matters to archaeologists and why it matters to everybody else.'

Professor Ronald Hutton University of Bristol

Jim Leary is an Archaeologist with English Heritage. David Field is an Archaeological Investigator with English Heritage.