3 Oct 2010

Stonehenge skeleton came from Mediterranean

A wealthy young teenager buried near Britain's mysterious Stonehenge monument came from the Mediterranean hundreds of miles away, scientists said Wednesday, proof of its importance as a travel destination in prehistoric times.

The teen — dubbed “The Boy with the Amber Necklace” because he was unearthed with a cluster of amber beads around his neck — is one of several sets of foreign remains found around the ancient ring of imposing stones, whose exact purpose remains unknown.

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The British Geological Survey's Jane Evans said that the find, radiocarbon dated to 1,550 B.C., “highlights the diversity of people who came to Stonehenge from across Europe,” a statement backed by Bournemouth University's Timothy Darvill, a Stonehenge scholar uninvolved with the discovery. More on The Globe and Mail

Also see: Ceremonial monument found near Stonehenge and Scientists discover second stone circle linked to Stonehenge