西尔布利山的新石器时代遗址，蒂尔斯黑德，威尔特郡，英国 Neolithic site of Silbury Hill, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England (© dbstockphotoa/Getty Images)

西尔布利山的新石器时代遗址，蒂尔斯黑德，威尔特郡，英国 Neolithic site of Silbury Hill, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England (© dbstockphotoa/Getty Images)

那座铭记往昔的山丘 The hill that remembers

国际考古日

每年十月的第三个星期六是国际考古日，它鼓励我们“深入地表”，探索尘封的历史与文明的根源。该纪念日由美国考古学会（AIA）于2011年设立，如今世界各地通过举办活动、组织参观和亲身体验挖掘等方式来庆祝。

一些遗址，如图中所示，能与周围环境浑然天成地融为一体：乍看之下，英国威尔特郡的锡尔伯里山或许只是乡间一道普通的斜坡。然而它却隐藏着一个距今约4500年的新石器时代谜团。自公元前2400年左右起，当地人开采白垩岩，经世代人力层层搬运堆砌，最终建成这座欧洲最高的史前土丘——它完全依靠人力堆砌而成，高约129英尺。

它究竟是祭祀场所、宇宙标记，还是社群象征？这座山丘的原始用途至今仍是谜题，而对考古学而言，这些疑问往往比答案更珍贵。当文字记载缺失时，大地诉说着自己的故事。锡尔伯里山保存着这些沉默的记忆，提醒我们探究过往的意义何在——它重塑我们对历史的认知，放大被掩盖的声音，并昭示着历史永无终结。

Silbury Hill for International Archaeology Day

Each year, International Archaeology Day—observed on the third Saturday of October—invites us to literally look beneath the surface. Established in 2011 by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), it's celebrated worldwide through events, tours, and hands-on excavations.

Each year, International Archaeology Day—observed on the third Saturday of October—invites us to literally look beneath the surface. Established in 2011 by the Archaeological Institute of America, it's celebrated worldwide through events, tours, and hands-on excavations.

Was it a ceremonial site, a cosmic marker, a symbol of community? Its original purpose remains elusive, and for archaeology, the questions can be as valuable as the answers. Where written records fail, the land tells its story. Silbury Hill preserves these tales, reminding us why studying our past matters: it rewrites what we thought we knew, amplifies silenced voices, and shows us that history is never finished.