Priddy Circles

The four Priddy Circles are Henge Monuments of the British Isles. They are located north of Wells, east of Priddy in Somerset on a plateau of the Mendip Hills. The three southern districts lie at a distance of only about 80 m along an axis and have a diameter of 185 m. The northern Priddy circle is slightly smaller than the others, its center is offset from the axis of the other. He could be an addition, as it knows the closest parallel in Avebury. Each of the Henges has an outer ditch. Its ramparts were originally crowned with palisades.

The juxtaposition of three large henge, which were built in the same design, has led to different explanations. Since the function and the exact period of its establishment could not be clarified, only speculations are possible. It was discussed that the population growth have made ​​additional circuits required. It is possible that the different places were used for various ceremonial purposes. The geographer and author of popular science books, Rodney Castleden, assumes that here different deities were honored separately. In a summary of field investigations from the years 1986 to 1988, Peter Ellis points out that the three -circuit systems by different groups could have been built. In this case, the alignment in a common plan would be particularly remarkable.

The "cult centers " of Priddy and Thornborough located in Somerset and North Yorkshire. In these two regions in the British Isles, a number of Henge monuments were erected in a line. This happened after Castleden likely to allow a number of different ceremonies.