March 23, 2016
A bevy of intriguing artifacts unearthed from a mysterious grave overlooking Stonehenge are being put on display at their visitors' center for the first time.
The enigmatic items, including jewelry, buttons, and pendants, were discovered in 1808 alongside an unknown woman.
The placement of her grave as well as the opulent objects found therein suggest to researchers that she held a position of great importance in the community at the time of her death.
Stonehenge scholars also say that the objects are the most well preserved artifacts ever to be found at the legendary ancient monument.
As such, they also offer a glimpse into a time in the distant past when Stonehenge was far more than a curiosity and provide a picture of the culture that may have been behind the monument.
A spokesperson for Stonehenge marveled to the Western Daily Press that the items were "made by highly skilled craftspeople experimenting with innovative techniques."
While most of the items seem to be ancient renditions of accoutrements we may see today, there is one object, in particular, which stands out for its sheer strangeness.
"The most mysterious object," the Stonehenge spokesperson said, "is the oblong gold covered bone pendant – with a fragment of bone so significant that it was encased in gold."
What may have been the meaning behind the bone fragment is open to conjecture, but some scholars suggest that it could have been thought to possess some kind of magic.
Although the objects had previously been on display at a nearby museum, their temporary showing at the Stonehenge visitor center will allow them to be seen by a far greater number of people.
And, even better, they'll be closer to the ancient monument where they were found, so any curse on the objects may be kept at bay.
Source: Western Daily Press
A bevy of intriguing artifacts unearthed from a mysterious grave overlooking Stonehenge are being put on display at their visitors' center for the first time.
The enigmatic items, including jewelry, buttons, and pendants, were discovered in 1808 alongside an unknown woman.
The placement of her grave as well as the opulent objects found therein suggest to researchers that she held a position of great importance in the community at the time of her death.
Stonehenge scholars also say that the objects are the most well preserved artifacts ever to be found at the legendary ancient monument.
Jewellery of mysterious woman buried near Stonehenge going on displayhttps://t.co/ikMsfRevoD pic.twitter.com/kK2aTUv1cB
— Loreto Bello Gude (@loretobgude) March 23, 2016
As such, they also offer a glimpse into a time in the distant past when Stonehenge was far more than a curiosity and provide a picture of the culture that may have been behind the monument.
A spokesperson for Stonehenge marveled to the Western Daily Press that the items were "made by highly skilled craftspeople experimenting with innovative techniques."
While most of the items seem to be ancient renditions of accoutrements we may see today, there is one object, in particular, which stands out for its sheer strangeness.
"The most mysterious object," the Stonehenge spokesperson said, "is the oblong gold covered bone pendant – with a fragment of bone so significant that it was encased in gold."
What may have been the meaning behind the bone fragment is open to conjecture, but some scholars suggest that it could have been thought to possess some kind of magic.
Although the objects had previously been on display at a nearby museum, their temporary showing at the Stonehenge visitor center will allow them to be seen by a far greater number of people.
And, even better, they'll be closer to the ancient monument where they were found, so any curse on the objects may be kept at bay.
Source: Western Daily Press