Stonehenge, the 4,000-year-old mysterious ring of ancient stones, which is one of Britain’s most famous landmarks, may have a Swiss connection. Archaeologists say that the remains of a wealthy archer - dubbed the King of Stonehenge - found near the site were from the Alps region.Tony Trueman, a Wessex Archaeology spokesman, said tests on the chemical components of the archer’s tooth enamel confirmed that he had come from an area which is most probably modern-day Switzerland.He said that it was clear that the man had been important from the sheer volume and value of the finds in his grave and this had resulted in his nickname, the King of Stonehenge. Among the objects were gold hair ornaments and copper knives, making it one of the richest and earliest Bronze Age sites in Britain. The gold is some of the earliest found in the country.But how much of a link the archer, found just three miles away from Stonehenge at Amesbury, had to the ancient stone ring is open to speculation.Archaeologists think that the man, who was skilled in metalwork, might have played an important part in the construction of the site and helped to introduce new skills in the area.“What we do know is that Stonehenge was built about 3000 BC and sometime around 2400-2200 BC people began to put the stones up and right in the middle of that period the archer came over,” Trueman told swissinfo.
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