king of stonehenge

February 10, 2003 7:53 AM

The King of Stonehenge found in a 4,000-year-old grave near Stonehenge may have been from Switzerland and involved in its construction. It is the richest Bronze Age burial found in Britain "off the scale". ...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.”
posted by stbalbach (16 comments total)

Shouldn't be surprising- the Swiss have always been good clock-makers.
posted by titanshiny at 7:58 AM on February 10, 2003

posted by stbalbach at 7:59 AM on February 10, 2003

Then again, maybe Merlin levitated the Giants' Dance to England from Ireland...
(scroll down to highlights)
Interesting link, stb!
posted by Shane at 8:10 AM on February 10, 2003

tests on the enamel found on the Archer’s teeth could not reveal how long he had lived in Britain, only that he must have lived in the Alps region while a child...Analysis of [the younger man's] teeth show he grew up in southern England but may have spent his late teens in the Midlands or north-east Scotland.

Does anyone know how this enamel-analysis process works? I've never heard of it before, and it seems bizarrely accurate.
posted by alms at 8:57 AM on February 10, 2003

cool. :)
posted by Foosnark at 10:56 AM on February 10, 2003

Wow, great links - you have been posting some very cool stuff lately, stbalbach, thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 11:17 AM on February 10, 2003

Thanks madamjujujive (must be a sign of surfing too much). Thats a good link of the burial site from which leads here source links for the project on the left column.
posted by stbalbach at 12:04 PM on February 10, 2003

Short version:

Enamel analysis looks at the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition found in the calcium phosphate mineral tooth enamel is made out from. There is growth and maturation, hence determining the Alps in the Archer's youth.

This can determine the diet and environment in which such enamel could be formed.
posted by linux at 12:50 PM on February 10, 2003

[this is good]
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:26 PM on February 10, 2003

...it is fascinating to think that someone from abroad...could well have played an important part in the construction of Britain’s most famous archaeological site.

Maybe the builders hired out for technical support?

Back in the '90s I was taking an Architectural History course, and I remember hearing about a new theory that Stonehenge is much older than previously thought, perhaps dating back to as early as 8000 or 9000 BC. I can't find any links to this now, but this theory would, of course, make the "Amesbury Archer" question irrelevant. Obviously most theories still place Stonehenge's creation at about 4000 yrs ago, but has anyone heard of the other date? I can only find reference to posts being sunk by the River Avon in 8000 BC.

By the way, here is a theory that Stonehenge was built by the French.
posted by Shane at 1:51 PM on February 10, 2003

It would not make the Archer irrelevant.

While possible that Stonehenge as a site was established much earlier, it is still possible that the erection of the stones occurred during the period of the Archer.

Note that the article states that Stonehenge is believed to have been constructed around 3000 BC, but that the stones were erected around 2600 BC, which is the period of the Archer.

Stonehenge was not constructed during one period, nor was it used by the same culture over its history.
posted by linux at 3:34 PM on February 10, 2003

Furthermore, the Archer is not irrelevant.

If Stonehenge existed in 2600 BC, which is pretty certain, then the Archer, an important figure in the region during that period, very likely knew and was involved with the use of the site.
posted by linux at 3:45 PM on February 10, 2003

Who controls the British Crown?

Who keeps the metric system down?

We do, we do.

Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?

Who keeps the Martians under wraps?

We do, we do.

Who holds back the electric car?

Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?

We do, we do.

Who robs cave fish of their sight?

Who rigs every Oscar night?

We do, we do!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 12:15 AM on February 11, 2003

There is strong evidence linking bronze age Greeks (Mycenaeans) to the construction of Stonehenge.

A Mycenaean dagger was found carved into one of the stones, and the mortice and tenon style technology to join the top stone with the 2 supporting stones was only found in Mycenaean architecture during this time.

It makes sense, seeing as the Mycenaeans loved their bronze, and the south-west of England/Wales is rich in tin, obviously vital in making bronze. It is amazing to think there was a complex trade route with the eastern Mediterranean in 2000BC... The Mycenaeans not only got their tin but brought their architectural expertise to that corner of England.
posted by derbs at 3:34 AM on February 11, 2003

While possible that Stonehenge as a site was established much earlier...

Yes definitely, I think this has been well established. But the idea I heard in the '90s was that the actual stones went up much earlier.... Which won't do me much good anyway till I find a link.
posted by Shane at 6:10 AM on February 11, 2003

This is good stuff, stbalbach. Thanks!
posted by Lynsey at 10:49 AM on February 11, 2003