'King of Stonehenge' hailed from the
Alps
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The remains of a wealthy and powerful man were
discovered five kilometres from the ancient stone circle in May 2002. Known as
the Amesbury Archer, this man was buried with the oldest gold and copper
artefacts ever discovered in Britain, dating from as far back as 2470
BC.
Although there is no direct link between the man
and Stonehenge, he is thought to have lived at the time the landmark was
erected, about 2300 BC. This, along with the proximity of his burial site and
his enormous wealth, has led archaeologists to speculate that he played a role
in the stone circle's construction.
Analysis of his tooth enamel now shows that he grew
up not in England, but in central Europe, most probably the Swiss or German
Alps. Lighter oxygen isotopes in the tooth enamel indicate that the teeth were
formed in a colder climate than Britain.
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