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From The Wiltshire Advertiser 05/12/2003
One megalith may be raised
One of the fallen megaliths at Avebury may be restored to its original place, even though there are no plans to excavate its long-buried brothers.
On Wednesday the Advertiser revealed a survey by National Trust archaeologists has found at least 15 massive stones buried close to where they would have stood in the circle.
Now archaeologist Mike Pitts is applying to reinstate a stone on the eastern side of the circle, which fell over in the 18th century.
Mr Pitts, the editor of British Archaeology Magazine, wants to carry out some excavation around the stone in the hope of revealing tools used to construct the site thousands of years ago.
"The principal reason for wanting to excavate in the stone circle is that we do not know when it was built," he said.
"Our best chance is to find something organic, such as a red deer antler pick, which we can carbon date."
He has been talking to English Heritage and the National Trust for two years about his idea, but feels a full-scale restoration of the circle wouldn't be appropriate.
"Generally, I think it would be good if one or two megaliths were re-erected at Avebury," he said.
"Some people would like to re-erect all of them, but I believe we have to draw a balance because the way Avebury looks at the moment is the way it has looked for many generations.
"It would completely transform the place and then it would become something that really dated from the 21st century."
Druid Terry Dobney, who holds the title Keeper Of The Stones, is in no doubt that the buried stones should be raised.
He says the National Trust promised Alexander Keiller, the millionaire and amateur archaeologist who uncovered many of the stones in the western part of the circle, that it would continue his work.
"If a furious whirlwind blew across Salisbury Plain and knocked down Stonehenge, would they just stand there and look at it?" he asked.
He said he understood concerns that the village might be overwhelmed by visitors if the stones were reinstated, but thought some of the pressure would be relieved if a once promised bypass, linking the A4 to Wroughton was built.
Brian Sumbler, who runs Avebury Antiques, said it was unlikely the buried megaliths would ever be reinstated and he wasn't sure they should be.
"There is some sort of taboo that states they are past history so they shouldn't be raised," he said.
"I expect there are some people in the village who would like them raised, but it is a difficult one to decide."
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