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Modern Offerings in the Final Sealing of Silbury Hill
March 4, 2007, 6:24 pm
Silbury Hill is, at long last, to be repaired - which is a relief to many of us. English Heritage are to undertake the repair work.
They have also made the suggestion to the Pagan community that, when the final sealing takes place, their organisation might like to place artefacts within the hill before it is sealed.
This is absurd!
Silbury Hill was built 4500 years ago by a people who had a different way of life. On what authority do English Heritage issue this invitation? Surely it has a statutory duty to educate (which would include NOT perpetuating the common misconceptions that the Druids erected the prehistoric monuments)? Are they aware that leaving things inside the hill would fly in the face of ALL accepted notions of proper conservation practice?
Modern Pagans and Druids have the right, like the rest of us, to wander round the Avebury stones, longbarrows and Silbury Hill. Should they wish to acknowledge the sacred within the natural world and the world of prehistory that is also their right, but surely it is very wrong to place offerings of this modern age within a national iconic monument.
Silbury Hill does not need a time capsule. Over the years it has suffered damage from antiquarian vandalism time and time again. An archaeological excavation, that was done for publicity sake, not only damaged the hill but the recording of the evidence was also very poor.
On the most charitable basis possible, posterity will look back at the eight long years it took English Heritage to finally fix the hill and wonder whether the delay was all justified or whether inefficiency played a big part - and whether extra damage took place in that time.
Rather than adding to the long list of maltreatment, we should be trying to close down the opening into the Hill with some sort of dignity and final ending.
English Heritage is a government body, it is the guardian and caretaker of our national monuments it is definitely not the arbitrator between religious expression and our prehistoric monuments.
Please be assured that Heritage Action is very well disposed towards these groups and we have many Pagans and Druids in our membership. A ceremony would be fine, but that's all. Nothing belongs inside Silbury but chalk.
To end with the words of a Pagan:
'Why not simply ask those present to add the final chalk to the hill or to pour water from a chalice, that would be moving and fitting'
So, English Heritage: please, think again, this makes no sense and you have no right whatsoever.
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