STEEPED IN HISTORY
Many objects from the area, including unique gold and amber pieces that date back more than 4,000 years, are housed in the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. Many of the collections have been granted the status of being nationally important. They include a necklace made from more than 1,000 amber beads, and the largest copper dagger found in Britain. There are flint arrowheads from a local archer, and the intricately inscribed gold lozenge of the Bush Barrow chieftain. The latter is often described as the “crown jewels of the King of Stonehenge”. Together, they tell the story of the people who built and lived at Avebury and Stonehenge throughout history. Later periods, including the Roman and Saxon periods, are also featured, together with the story of Devizes itself. “It’s impossible to come here and not experience the area’s history, not only at places such as Avebury, but also in its towns and villages,” says director David Dawson. “It’s extraordinary.”