Avebury megalith

Archaeologists working at the ancient Avebury stone circle have uncovered what could be one of the largest standing stones in the country. Experts at English Heritage and the National Trust say the stone could weigh in at 100 tons, rivalling the largest megaliths at its fellow site in Wiltshire, Stonehenge.

The surprise discovery was made during work at the 4,500 year-old stone circle to straighten two stones known as the Cove, which have begun to lean over the last 300 years and experts feared might collapse. The team from the Universities of Wales, Leicester and Southampton found the stone was buried much deeper beneath the ground than previously thought. They found that one of the stones, which stands at 14ft high above the ground, exists at least 7ft below the surface and could possibly go down to 10ft.

The site at Avebury is larger and older than nearby Stonehenge. John Aubrey, the 17th-century antiquarian, said it exceeded Stonehenge as a cathedral does a parish church.

Posted by David on April 19, 2003 2:01 PM