A lecture by archaeologist Jim Leary about the excavations at Marden in 2010 and the discovery there of an extraordinarily well-preserved Neolithic building will be held Saturday, 05 February 2011 at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum.
     The summer of 2010 saw excavations at one of the largest Neolithic henge monuments in Britain: Marden. Located in the heart of the Vale of Pewsey between Stonehenge and Avebury it does not have any surviving stone settings, but its sheer size is astounding.
     The excavation was the culmination of a two-year multi-disciplinary project and provided evidence for a now demolished mound - said to be the second largest in Wiltshire after Silbury Hill. More remarkable, however, was the discovery of an extraordinarily well-preserved Neolithic building - undoubtedly one of the best preserved in Britain outside Orkney.
     This lecture will discuss the findings from the project, and explore some reasons of why it was constructed and what it could have been used for. Jim Leary, an English Heritage archaeologist, was much involved with the excavations at Marden Henge and also those at Silbury Hill. He is co-author of a new book 'The Story of Silbury Hill'.
     Saturday afternoon lectures start at 2.30pm and last approx. one hour. Cost is £5.00 (£3.00 WANHS members). Booking is recommended: contact the Bookings Secretary (tel: 01380 727369 - 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday; email: wanhs@wiltshireheritage.org.uk)

Edited from Wiltshire Heritage Museum PR (January 2011)