Archaeologists May Have Dug Up ' King Of Stonehenge'
[Original headline: EXPERTS UNEARTH 'KING' OF ANCIENT TEMPLE]
Archaeologists have dug up a 4000-year-old skeleton they believe could be the King of Stonehenge.
The grave, packed with nearly 100 precious objects, including gold, is the richest-ever Bronze Age find in Britain.
The skeleton was found just two miles from world-famous Stonehenge in Wiltshire and was buried around 2300 BC.
Experts say he probably would have witnessed the giant boulders that form the mysterious stone circle being hauled into position.
He was 5ft 9ins tall and buried in a style that indicated his extreme wealth and social importance.
Next to the preserved skeleton were some of the earliest metal objects ever discovered in Britain.
They include two gold earrings and three copper knife blades. Most people would have never seen metal.
Pots, a shale belt buckle, 15 arrow heads and a cloak's bone pin were also found.
Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, of Wessex Archaeology, said his team was looking for a Roman burial site when Stonehenge Man appeared.
He said: "With Bronze Age burials, we believe if there are 10 items then it is a rich grave - with this we uncovered almost 100.
"There are only two other burials in England that even begin to compare with this one. It is extremely exciting.
"He would have been quite old when he died and we know he had a dodgy left knee and a very bad tooth."
He added he could have been the King of Stonehenge because of his obvious status.
The skeleton, thought to be of an archer, was found a foot under the surface, on the site of a proposed school.
Story originally published by:
Daily Record / Scotland | Geoffrey Lakeman - May 16.02
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