The richest Bronze Age burial site in the UK, containing the remains of a wealthy archer, jewellery and knives, has been found near Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
The archer was buried with jewellery and tools
The quantity and the quality of the finds make the discovery unprecedented, says Andrew Fitzpatrick of Wessex Archaeology, who is managing the project: “As well as the archery equipment, the man had three copper knives and a pair of gold earrings. These are some of the earliest kinds of metal objects found in Britain. The fact that so many valuable objects have been found together is unique.”
Stone arrowheads and stone wrist-guards, which were used to protect the arm from the recoil of the bow, made it relatively easy to identify the man’s profession, say the archaeologists.
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The “Amesbury Archer” has been named after the village where he was found and died in about 2500 BC. He was a wealthy man.
UK Bronze Age finds are classed as “rich” if they contain four or five objects, one of which is made of copper, bronze or gold. But this man’s grave contained more than 100 objects.
Click here for detailed image of grave layout
The rare gold earrings were probably worn wrapped around the ear. Similar earrings have been found at only half a dozen other UK sites.
Although the area around Stonehenge is famous for its rich Bronze Age burials, this grave is several hundred years earlier than the rest, says Andrew Lawson, chief executive of Wessex Archaeology. “It raises the question of who this archer was and why his mourners buried so many valuable things with him,” he says.
