An ancient murder mystery: The Stonehenge Archer
By zteve t evans
The murder of a man dubbed "The Stonehenge Archer" committed thousands of years ago has intrigued archaeologists and been a continued cause of argument and debate' In 1978, Richard Atkinson and John G. Evans found the remains of a Bronze Age man buried in the outer ditch of Stonehenge. This burial was unusual for the Stonehenge area as most bodies are found in barrows.
A stone wrist guard such as archers use to protect their wrists from the recoil of a bow string were found with him along with several flint arrowheads. No bow was found. Any organic material such as wood for arrow shafts of used in a bow had rotted away. Some of the arrowheads were found in the body which suggests they had caused his death or had been incapacitated by them and then killed.
A stone wrist guard such as archers use to protect their wrists from the recoil of a bow string were found with him along with several flint arrowheads. No bow was found. Any organic material such as wood for arrow shafts of used in a bow had rotted away. Some of the arrowheads were found in the body which suggests they had caused his death or had been incapacitated by them and then killed.
The Amesbury Archer and the Boscombe Bowmen
He was thought to have died when he was 25-35 years old and results from radiocarbon dating indicate his death occurred around 2300 BC. This date corresponds with the burials of the Amesbury Archer and the Boscombe Bowmen both being found close to Stonehenge. It is thought that Stonehenge was still under construction at this time or just becoming functional for its intended purpose which remains unknown today.
Analysis of his bones suggests that he was a local man who was around five feet ten inches tall with a strong, powerful physique. He is thought to have been involved in heavy lifting as there were indications of a problem with his back though apart from that he seemed a fit and healthy man.
Dennis Price's "Sentinel" Theory
Writing on 'The Eternal Idol' blog Dennis Price hypothesizes that the man was a sentinel whose duty was to guard Stonehenge. The position of sentinel of Stonehenge would have been a very special and possibly sacred role. It may have conferred special privileges making it a very desirable position, giving the holder a highly regarded status.
However the privileges and status were bought at a high price. To become a sentinel it was necessary to kill the existing sentinel. Those that failed died at the hands of the existing sentinel and those who succeeded became the new sentinel always on their guard against attack and their own possible murder. Price thinks the man found in the ditch was a sentinel who had been killed and replaced by someone who became a new sentinel.
He was thought to have died when he was 25-35 years old and results from radiocarbon dating indicate his death occurred around 2300 BC. This date corresponds with the burials of the Amesbury Archer and the Boscombe Bowmen both being found close to Stonehenge. It is thought that Stonehenge was still under construction at this time or just becoming functional for its intended purpose which remains unknown today.
Analysis of his bones suggests that he was a local man who was around five feet ten inches tall with a strong, powerful physique. He is thought to have been involved in heavy lifting as there were indications of a problem with his back though apart from that he seemed a fit and healthy man.
Dennis Price's "Sentinel" Theory
Writing on 'The Eternal Idol' blog Dennis Price hypothesizes that the man was a sentinel whose duty was to guard Stonehenge. The position of sentinel of Stonehenge would have been a very special and possibly sacred role. It may have conferred special privileges making it a very desirable position, giving the holder a highly regarded status.
However the privileges and status were bought at a high price. To become a sentinel it was necessary to kill the existing sentinel. Those that failed died at the hands of the existing sentinel and those who succeeded became the new sentinel always on their guard against attack and their own possible murder. Price thinks the man found in the ditch was a sentinel who had been killed and replaced by someone who became a new sentinel.
Sentinel of Stonehenge
To expand on Price's theory the new sentinel had left his own marked arrows in the dead man's body as proof of his deed rather than take the valuable weapons for reuse. As a further mark of identification he had left his own sandstone wrist guard to gain the recognition of a higher authority to give credibility to his claim of status as Sentinel of Stonehenge.
Of course this is highly dramatic but Stonehenge is a dramatic building and must have been of great importance to its builders through the ages to go to so much labour and time to develop it. As such those who serve the building in any way would have been held in high regard and would have been of the highest ability in all functions.
For a prospective sentinel what better way to prove your mettle than to kill the incumbent sentinel who is always on their guard for their own life? Whoever wins the duel Stonehenge is ensured the deadliest sentinel over and over again.
The problem with this is that no other body pierced with arrows buried in a ditch has been found though they may have been buried elsewhere. It may be that earlier finds fitted this category but due to less professional procedures these may have been lost. Or it may be that they still await discovery.
Another interesting point is that this was an inhumation not a cremation. New evidence from the Stonehenge Riverside Project may suggest that cremation burials were an important function of the site from the first. A current theory is that Stonehenge was the burial site for a single ruling dynasty and not where ordinary people were buried.
Professor Mike Parker Pearson in charge of the Stonehenge Riverside Project says, 'I don't think it was the common people getting buried at Stonehenge it was clearly a special place at that time. One has to assume anyone buried there had some good credentials.'
It may have been the case that the Stonehenge Archer was part of the ruling elite or have some other claim for burial at this special site such as being a sentinel or have some other high status. We will probably never know which is all part of the mystery of Stonehenge.
The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is now the resting place of the Stonehenge Archer.
© 23/11/2009 zteve t evans
To expand on Price's theory the new sentinel had left his own marked arrows in the dead man's body as proof of his deed rather than take the valuable weapons for reuse. As a further mark of identification he had left his own sandstone wrist guard to gain the recognition of a higher authority to give credibility to his claim of status as Sentinel of Stonehenge.
Of course this is highly dramatic but Stonehenge is a dramatic building and must have been of great importance to its builders through the ages to go to so much labour and time to develop it. As such those who serve the building in any way would have been held in high regard and would have been of the highest ability in all functions.
For a prospective sentinel what better way to prove your mettle than to kill the incumbent sentinel who is always on their guard for their own life? Whoever wins the duel Stonehenge is ensured the deadliest sentinel over and over again.
The problem with this is that no other body pierced with arrows buried in a ditch has been found though they may have been buried elsewhere. It may be that earlier finds fitted this category but due to less professional procedures these may have been lost. Or it may be that they still await discovery.
Another interesting point is that this was an inhumation not a cremation. New evidence from the Stonehenge Riverside Project may suggest that cremation burials were an important function of the site from the first. A current theory is that Stonehenge was the burial site for a single ruling dynasty and not where ordinary people were buried.
Professor Mike Parker Pearson in charge of the Stonehenge Riverside Project says, 'I don't think it was the common people getting buried at Stonehenge it was clearly a special place at that time. One has to assume anyone buried there had some good credentials.'
It may have been the case that the Stonehenge Archer was part of the ruling elite or have some other claim for burial at this special site such as being a sentinel or have some other high status. We will probably never know which is all part of the mystery of Stonehenge.
The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is now the resting place of the Stonehenge Archer.
© 23/11/2009 zteve t evans
References and Attribuitions
Copyright November 23, 2009 zteve t evans
Copyright November 23, 2009 zteve t evans