By Alfred C. Pass. 249 



but in our own day vast railway embankments, in Europe and India, 

 have been thus formed. Sir Thomas Brassey, in his book, " Work 

 and Wages/' refers to " The Italian villagers, men, women, and 

 children, carrying earth in baskets on their heads " to construct 

 railways. 



My excavations were commenced in the month of September, 

 after a long continuance of dry weather, so that the adjacent little 

 stream— the Kennet— had been dried up for more than two months ; 

 yet water continually stood to the depth of 8ft. in the deep holes 

 which were sunk in the trench, at the foot of the mound, and I 

 think it would never at any time of the year fall below that level. 



The large area to the west of the hill, although not excavated to 

 so great a depth as the trench, must necessarily have been a pond 

 of water during a great part of every year. 



These facts have hitherto escaped observation, but it was from a 

 surmise that such would prove to be the case that I was first led to 

 attempt these explorations. 



It is clear that the intention of the builders was to completely 

 isolate the hill, and prevent all approach to it from the surrounding 

 ground . 



For what purpose was this moat intended ? There is one reason 

 probable, and that is for the purpose of defence. By surrounding 

 the hill with water, it could be approached only by the narrow 

 causeway situate on the south side, and this could have been 

 stockaded as a further defence. The top of the hill, also, may have 

 been surrounded by a stockade, and the hill would then have some- 

 what resembled a New Zealand pah. My conclusions are, that the 

 builders of this mound, selected its peculiar low situation, for the sole 

 purpose of obtaining the line of defence furnished by the water in 

 the surrounding moat ; and that Silbury Hill was erected as a tribal 

 stronghold, or place of retreat and defence, in case of a sudden 

 attack by enemies. If not meant for defence, for what purpose was 

 this deep trench intended ? 



The mound at Marlborough strongly resembles Silbury Hill, and 

 was erected in a similar low situation, near the same stream— the 

 Kennet— possibly by the same race of men, for the same purpose ; 



