West Kennet Long Barrow West Kennet Long Barrow
WEST Kennet Long Barrow
is one of the largest and most impressive Neolithic graves in Britain. Used
for over 1000 years, excavations have discovered the human remains of up to
46 people inside the barrow, the bones sorted into different groups.
 Second
only to East Kennet Barrow in length, the structure is 100 metres long and
located a quarter of a mile from Silbury Hill. Now covered with turf, earlier
in its existence the barrow had bare chalk sides and would have stood stark
against the landscape. Although, the barrow had a long period of use, it was
finally sealed by the huge sarsen stones that can now be seen at its entrance.
It is possible to enter the chamber of the barrow, and from the top of the
mound there are good views of Silbury, the East Kennet Barrow, the Sanctuary
and Windmill Hill.
The inner chamber, which has four side chambers and an end chamber was excavated
in 1859 and in 1955 - 56. It is thought the West Kennet Long Barrow was used
predominantly by the Beaker people. The final Beaker period burial was placed
in the north-east chamber of the tomb before it was closed - the complete
skeleton of an elderly man.
In a crouched position, the body had a fractured arm, an abcess on one shoulder
and deformed toes. It appeared he had died from an arrowhead embedded in the
throat. Nearly all of the adult skeletons had arthritis and some even showed
signs of spina bifida.
Partial remains suggest that parts of the bodies were buried at different
times, or that they were later removed from the tomb. The bodies may have
also been allowed to rot outside the tomb, and only the dry bones were interred.
In 1882 the barrow together with Silbury Hill, came under the protection of
the first Ancient Monuments Act, stopping any damage caused by curious visitors.
According to folklore, West Kennet Long Barrow is visited by a ghostly white
figure with a white red-eared hound on Midsummer's day. He enters the mound
at sunrise and may be a folk memory of a ritual event on the solstice.
www.weirdwiltshire.co.uk
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