All the stones, termed megaliths, are of local sandstone, called sarsen, which occurs as large boulders on the adjacent chalk downs. Avebury was built in late Neolithic times, about 2000 BC, probably by the Bronze Age Beaker People. Later the site was occupied by a Saxon village. Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric mound in Europe, and Windmill Hill, site of a Neolithic causewayed camp, are nearby.
Some occultists regard the area as a psychic power center.
The site has a long history as a center of allegedly paranormal activity, including reports of apparitions , eerie noises and strange lights. In the 1980s the locality was a major site for crop circles . Sacred Places . A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany . Discovering Avebury .