The work of the first excavators of Avebury, Britain's largest stone circle, will be discussed in a free public lecture at the University of Bath in Swindon on Wednesday, March 28.

Dr Ros Cleal, curator of the Alexander Keiller Museum at Avebury, will draw on the museum's archives and photo collection to illustrate excavation work that went on from the mid 17th to 20th centuries, forming the basis of much of what is known of the Avebury monuments today.

The talk, From Utter Darkness to a Thin Mist: Early Excavators at Avebury, will feature the work of nationally-known antiquaries and archaeologists such as John Aubrey and William Stukeley, and those of more local fame such as Maud Cunnington and Alexander Keiller.

The Alexander Keiller Museum was founded in 1938 and features the history of the stone circle, particularly its archaeological excavations.

The collection is mainly of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age date, with some Anglo-Saxon and later material. It has a large excavation archive from excavations in the 1920s and 1930s.

Admission and parking for the lecture is free and people can just turn up on the evening. The lecture runs from 5.30pm until 6.30pm in the University Hall at the Oakfield campus.