Stonehenge 'king' could be Swiss
Submitted by Vicky on Tuesday, 11 February 2003 Page Views: 2369
StonehengeArchaeologists are closer to unlocking the ancient mysteries of Stonehenge after discovering that the man dubbed its "king" was an immigrant from the Alps. A complete male skeleton dating back to 2300BC was found near the stone monument last May. It was surrounded by about 100 items, including golden hair ornaments – the earliest gold objects found in Britain.Tests on the skeleton, also known as the Amesbury Archer, have shown its origins lie in central Europe, scuppering the theory that he was an indigenous ancient Briton.
Enamel in the skeleton's teeth was traced to Switzerland, Austria or Germany. Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, of Wessex Archaeology, based at Salisbury, said: "We have long suspected that it was people from the continent of Europe who initiated the trade that first brought metalworking to Britain, and the 'Archer' is an important discovery in confirming this.
"He would have been a very important person in the Stonehenge area and it is fascinating to think that someone from abroad – probably modern-day Switzerland – could well have played an important part in the construction of Britain's most famous archaeological site."
Tests on the skeleton by Wessex Archaeology staff show the man was aged between 35 and 45 when he died and of a strong build. A second skeleton of a younger man, aged 20 to 25, who had two gold hair ornaments lodged in mud in his jaw, was also found on the site.
Bone analysis showed he and the archer were related, probably a father and son. The younger man was raised in the Stonehenge area, as well as the Midlands or Scotland.
The grave was found three miles from Stonehenge, near Amesbury in Wiltshire, during an excavation by Wessex Archaeology. Tests have also been carried out on the gold ornaments, showing them to date back to as early as 2470BC, and the copper knives interred in the grave were traced to Spain and France – showing evidence of the wide trade networks that existed in the early Bronze Age.
Source: The Independent 11/02/03
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