Iron Age Brooch found at Avebury

Illustration from British Museum Catalogue 1906 Early Iron Age.

There is not much evidence of Iron Age around Silbury, there seems to be more evidence towards the east of Avebury, and of course on Oldbury at the great bank and ditch settlement up there. Originally though a much smaller late bronze age settlement that fitted into the corner of the larger enclosed space. There seems to have been a roman religious building up there, whether a temple or not has'nt been investigated. At Monkton Winterbourne, there was found a miniature votive offering of silver legs, which may point to some sort of roman shrine there by the stream. These miniature offerings of parts of the body, can be found at the healing temple at Lydney, overlooking the Sabrina river; and of course the people are asking the gods to cure them of their ailments.


Silbury Hill also seems to have acted as a focus for activity, with records of an Iron Age urn, an Iron Age coin and La Tène I bow brooch, and further Iron Age Durotrigian silver and bronze staters being discovered ‘near’ the Hill (Fig. 11).
Gill Swanton report.....