Herewith a press release from Heart of Albion Press about their forthcoming title from Michael Dames
Heart of Albion Press
2 Cross Hill Close, Wymeswold
Loughborough, LE12 6UJ
Telephone Tel 01509 880725
Fax 01509 881715
E-mail albion@indigogroup.co.uk
On-line catalogue www.indigogroup.co.uk/albion
NEW TITLE INFORMATION
Date of publication 14 June 2007
ISBN 978-1-905646-06-7
Type of binding stapled booklet
Price £5.95
Author(s) Michael Dames
Title Roman Silbury and the Harvest Goddess
Height and width 210 x 148 mm
Number of pages 20 + ii
Number and type of illustrations 27 b&w photos; 30 line drawings
Edition First
Place of publication Wymeswold
Brief description Argues that the Romans recognised and renewed the significance of Silbury and the Avebury 'cycle' of Neolithic monuments.
In his earlier book The Silbury Treasure, Michael Dames argues that Silbury and its 'moat' make a gigantic Neolithic pregnant goddess who each year gives birth to her 'harvest child'. The recent discovery of a Roman settlement at the side of Silbury has been interpreted by Dr Bob Bewley of English Heritage as evidence of Romano-British pilgrims 'drawn in the wake of their prehistoric forebears' to worship at Europe's tallest prehistoric monument.
These Romano-British pilgrims would have been familiar with Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. Roman deities were often merged with native counterparts - so did the Romano-British also use this Neolithic moat-hill 'divine image' to celebrate their harvest rites?
In this booklet Michael Dames reveals intriguing parallels between Ceres and seeing Silbury as a Neolithic godddess. The Classical myth cycle of Ceres also fits well with the seasonal aspects of the Silbury goddess as revealed in Michael Dames' book The Avebury Cycle. Does this mean Romano-British offerings at the nearby Neolithic long barrow at West Kennet are associated with Ceres' annual loss of her daughter, Proserpina, to the winter Underworld? Furthermore, only 350 yards from Silbury is a spring known as Swallowhead, the birthplace of the River Kennet. Such a site would be ideal for revering the Roman Tellus Mater or 'Mother Earth'.
Roman Silbury and the Harvest Goddess provides persuasive evidence that the Romans recognised and renewed the significance of Silbury and the Avebury 'cycle' of monuments. This also suggests that the Silbury goddess may have been worshipped at the start of each prehistoric harvest from 2500 BC onwards.
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