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In 2002 some archaeologists found the remains of a Bronze Age archer near a place called Amesbury. The find was dated to about 2,250BC. As well as the bones of the archer, they found various other items in the grave. There were five Beaker pots which was the most number of these pots ever found in a single grave. They are called Beaker pots because of their shape and were used all over Europe at this time.
There were also copper and gold items as well as lots of archery equipment. By looking at some parts of the skeleton, the teeth, experts believe the man originally came from somewhere in the Alpine mountains in Europe, possibly Switzerland.
The man was obviously quite powerful and wealthy; the gold items showing this fact. Amesbury is close to Stonehenge, see our later piece, and it may be that this man either worked on building the henge or was the leader of a tribe that lived nearby.
The gold artefacts (an artefact is something man-made and from the past) could have been earrings. It is thought that these earrings, if that is what they were, are the oldest gold objects made in England. Leather bracelets were also found.
The bones showed a man of between 35 and 45 but it also showed that he had a very badly injured left knee and so would have walked with a definite limp. He had a tooth abscess and both these injuries would have resulted in him being a bit smelly. He was buried on his side, curled up as if he was sleeping, with his face to the north and with all the offerings placed around him. Some artefacts showed how he might have been dressed. A bone pin, found with him, might have been used to fasten a cloak and maybe the cloak had rotted but the pin remained. There was a copper knife, which came from France or Spain, slightly under his body and would indicate the man had been trading with people from these countries.
Flint arrowheads, yes they still used flint at this time, were scattered about the grave. There was a black stone called a cushion stone which was used by metal workers, so this man may not only have been an archer but also a craftsman. A cushion stone, so called because it looks a bit like a cushion, is like an anvil and a craftsman would place the object he was making on the cushion stone before hitting it into the shape he wanted.
It is likely that the items were placed in the Archer's grave for his use in the next life. He had everything that a person would need to survive; clothing, tools, weapons, pottery and spare flints to make new tools.
Forward to 2200BC
