User:Johnphantom2643/Marlborough Mound

Article Title:

Marlborough Mound

The Marlborough Mound meets the requirements of notability, neutrality had requires no original research. Whilst there are number of existing Wikipedia article concerned with the College adjacent to the mound and the castle which used to sit on top of it there is little information on Wikipedia regarding the number of legends circulating about construction, use of the mound and its narrative today other than brief mentions in other articles. Marlburians and other scholars have been interacting with the mound itself, independent of the other adjacent structures for hundreds of years. As my bibliography illustrates there is considerable investigation and published scholarship which is evidence of “significant coverage”. These sources have often been published by academic institutions with high standards and reputations of editorial integrity. Additionally, these sources are published in English, a requirement for this unit of study. The considerable number of sources indicate that no original research into the mound will be required and the use of primary sources in this article will be limited if not completely omitted from the article. Furthermore, this topic was found on the requested articles page on Wikipedia.[1]

Associated WikiProjects:

Based on the assembled bibliography there are three WikiProjects this article could easily fall into. They are listed below.

·      WikiProject Archaeology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Archaeology

·      WikiProject UK geography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_UK_geography

·       WikiProject Wiltshire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Wiltshire

At this stage, the sections of my article will closely resemble that of the Silbury Hill Wikipedia article.[2] This is owing to the close relationship the two sites have and their comparison in scholarship. The titles of the sections followed by a brief description are below.

1.     Structure: Essential information regarding the dimensions, shape and material of the mound.

2.     Investigations and Restoration: Although less investigation has been conducted on Marlborough Mound than Silbury Hill, there is sufficient sources to dedicate a section to the way that people have interacted with the mound since its construction. Notably, the work of present day scholars has studied the geology and history of the site using radiocarbon dating on soil cores. However excavations and surveys of the mound have occurred in previous centuries notably those undertaken by H.C Brentnall between 1912 and 1938 as well as by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in 1999.

3.     Purpose: Illustrates the published theories and empirical evidence about the use of the site through history. This includes the prior belief that the mound was the burial site of Merlin from the Arthurian Legends, its function as a motte for Marlborough Castle, the water tower for Marlborough College and most recently as an object of study for a larger archaeological complex in Wessex which includes Silbury Hill, Avebury and Stonehenge.

4.     Location: This section illustrates the geographical location of the mound and establishes its place in a larger prehistoric British archaeological complex. Nearby sites include Silbury Hill and Avebury which recent studies have shown to be constructed contemporaneously with the Marlborough Mound.

I will be using the Chicago referencing style.

'''Hoare, Richard Colt. The Ancient History of Wiltshire. Classical County Histories. Wakefield: EP Publishing : [for] Wiltshire County Library, 1975. '''

In this source the Marlborough Mound is illustrated and mentioned as part of the broader history of the Wiltshire area. Hoare was the one of the first recorded excavators of Stonehenge and wrote this large form history of his home county. This is the earliest work to suggest that the Marlborough Mound might be of prehistoric in contrast to the prevailing legend that the mound is the burial place of Merlin.

I believe this source illustrates the need to pursue this article topic because it is the starting point for the study of the geographic location of the mound as a broad archaeological complex. Additionally it is indicative of the techniques used in the excavations of similar sites at the time of its publication.

'''Leary, Jim, Matthew Canti, David Field, Peter Fowler, Peter Marshall, and Gill Campbell. “The Marlborough Mound, Wiltshire. A Further Neolithic Monumental Mound by the River Kennet.” Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 79 (2013): 137–63. doi:10.1017/ppr.2013.6.'''

This source is an article was published by The Prehistoric Society and is a scholarly and detailed analysis of a series of six core samples taken from the Marlborough Mound for the purposes of radiocarbon dating. Additionally it discusses the findings of the coring project and details an archaeological history of investigation into and engagement with Marlborough Mound. This source will contribute to my article in outlining the modern day scientific interaction with the mound and is the most recent study into its age. The article presents a compelling argument that the mound is 3770 years old and thus contemporaneous with Silbury Hill. This contributes further to the mounds notability as part of a larger Neolithic archaeological complex in Wessex.

I believe this source illustrates the need to pursue this article topic because it further establishes the archaeological interest in the mound itself beyond the college or castle buildings that have been constructed on or around it. The article brings together several hundred years of speculation into the purpose of the mound and the theories of past scholars beginning as early as 1776. Among those mentioned above, notable investigations include excavations by A.S Eve in 1892. These are not political, social or cultural historical studies, they are archaeological studies and indicate a gap in the information about this site on Wikipedia further strengthening the argument for this topics notability.

'''Trust, Marlborough Mound. "Marlborough Mound: The Mound Trust." In Marlborough College, edited by Marlborough College. Marlborough, Great Britain: Marlborough College, 2017.'''

The Marlborough Mound Trust have a very limited digital presence but after some email correspondance have been good enough to provide a leaflet to me which details a brief history of the mound as well as a history of themselves. The flyer has been published by Marlborough College, itself an academic institution which I believe gives editorial credibility to this source due to publication by a third party. This source provides evidence of continuing interaction with the mound and its cultural significance to Marlburians today.

I believe this source illustrates the need to pursue this article topic because of the efforts on the part of Marlborough College and the Trust to make the history of the site accessible to an interested public. This leaflet is not available on the internet and articulates an engaging narrative of the history of the site and the history of the Marlburians so invested in the restoration of this cultural significant location.

'''Commission, Charity. "Marlborough Mound Trust Charity Details." https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details?regid=1081520&subid=0 .'''

This webpage is part of the limited digital presence of the Marlborough Mound Trust and it published by the official government charity commission of the United Kingdom. It contains an overview of the trust, information about members, financial documents and statements and operational areas within the United Kigdom. Thus, this source provides comprehensive information concerning the money being invested into the mound.

I believe this source illustrates the need to pursue this article topic because it shows the large amount of money being invested into this site - for the financial year ending 5 April 2018 this figure was declared as £87,600.[3] I believe this significant investment establishes the significance of this site to the people of Marlborough, Wiltshire and thus is deserving of a more prominent place on Wikipedia than a cursory mention in a related article such as the college or castle. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requested_articles/Social_sciences#Non-people

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silbury_Hill

[3] Charity Commission, "Marlborough Mound Trust Charity Details," https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details?regid=1081520&subid=0. Accessed 23 March 2019