The Warriors of Britain's Bronze Age Revolution
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- čas přidán 24. 05. 2024
- Archaeologists found the burial of a man who died in about 2,300 BC at Amesbury in Wiltshire, England, just three miles from the famous ancient site of Stonehenge.
The grave dates to the early Bronze Age in Britain, a time of great change that brought new people to these islands from northern Europe. With them came new technologies like metalworking in and new traditions, involving pottery vessels that archaeologists call Bell Beakers.
Most of these Bell beaker era graves contain few burial goods. But this one is different. It contained the richest array of items ever found in a grave from this period in Britain.
The astonishing number and richness of the finds also led to the British media calling him “The King of Stonehenge.”
So who was this man? Where did he come from and why was he buried here? Did he really have anything to do with the building of Stonehenge or ruling over the area? And what was happening here and in the rest of Britain at this time of immense change?
This is the story of the Amesbury Archer.
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Sources
The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age: amzn.to/3ZXIGh0
The Amesbury Archer and the Boscombe Bowmen: amzn.to/3OQa5zA
The Neolithic-Bronze Age Transition in Britain A critical review of some archaeological and craniological concepts by Neil Brodie
www.wessexarch.co.uk/our-work...
www.wessexarch.co.uk/our-work...
The above links include affiliate links which means we will earn a small commission from your purchases at no additional cost to you which is a way to support the channel.
Artworks
Wessex Man and Bush Barrow Chieftain by Ancient Europeans / ancienteuropea1
Archer reconstruction by Greg Harlin
Archer reconstruction by Jane Grayne
Thank you
Wessex Archaeology: www.wessexarch.co.uk/
The Salisbury Museum: salisburymuseum.org.uk/
English Heritage: www.english-heritage.org.uk/v...
Video Chapters
00:00 Who was the Amesbury Archer?
02:25 The Discovery and Excavation
03:57 The Bell Beaker burial tradition
05:40 Why was the Archer's burial special?
09:25 The earliest gold in Britain
11:08 The Amesbury Archer had a disability
12:04 Where did he come from?
12:50 The Bell Beaker culture
15:53 The Bell Beaker colonisation of Britain
21:00 Who was the Archer's Companion?
22:20 Who were the Boscombe Bowmen?
23:06 The King of Stonehenge?
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Why does it look like a fkn arab in the thumbnail lol.
Why not use an european in the thumbnail, of a video of northwest european history, rather then this turk or whatever?
Why not be historically accurate rather then antiwhite?
Never seen a Victorian era Englishman huh? Never seen WG Grace?
@@DanDavisHistory Yes I have, but neither of those have black beard and black eyes and a south european phenotype...... Can you really not tell apart an englishman with a blondish beard, from this turk/albanian with black hair on his arms and black facial hair and clearly non-north-european-features? How? And the question remains, when theres this teeny tiny part of the world where the norm is NOT black eyes and black hair, why wouldnt you respect that and show that, instead of this? Its like showing a blue eyed girl on a thumbnail about cameroon or thailand, just strange.
I'm 😂😢Ilik@Deejii Varissuo 96mmlymmu😂❤oi5i😢ki 1:41 i0l😊ii8onm
Always ready to listen to you. I find Bronze Age history the most exciting - so many unknowns, invites imaginative speculation and makes for excellent fictional storytelling.
All my drinking is strictly ritual.
The ritual being Friday night??
Same breh, same
that's the uniting bond of all descendants of the bell beaker people
Ave Marination 🙏🏼😂
There is a ritual for every day!
I often think of how privileged we are to receive such outstanding content for free in our time. Not even a hundred years ago such knowledge would be prohibitively expensive to acquire and now I can eat noodles while being given a lecture on par with any university. Your work will be remembered, Sir, for the work of education shapes the future more than any other.
inb4 amazon race and sex swaps the Amesbury Archer to boost the ratings
@@longpinkytoes it certainly would boost ratings since bigoted troglodytes like you would watch it just to feel some kind of emotion for once in your life, even if that emotion is anger
We're all fancy bastards now
@@fvefve12 sadly, despite the abundance of knowledge, the best stuff is sitting behind paywalls and/or antagonist search algorithms
It's not free. Never has been and never will be.
I actually live very close to where amesbury archer 's burial place was discovered. Beautiful sky, beautiful sunsets. I sometimes feel in touch with those of long ago who must have also watched the wonderfully beautiful sunsets. what a great privilege for me.
Stella is the archer still in the Salisbury museum?
Yes he is still at Salisbury Museum along wiith all the items found with him.
@@stellaclarke-hx7bq thank you. We are in Wiltshire so will pop and see him again . I stare at him and think of his life
It's kinda sad the archer is still on display with same respect given old pots .... its actually illegal to display " christian" bodies in uk ... I think pagans deserve same respect .
It would be fun to test the DNA of it and the local people , I'll bet someone around there is closely related.
Always a great day when Dan posts a new video! It's such a blessing to live in the times we do now, free to explore the past in ways out ancestors could only dream of.
Your documentaries are so deeply engaging, Dan, thank you! The narration, the detailed graphics - just exceptional! Happy to be a Patreon.
Thank you very much for your support 🙏
Living near Stonehenge and seeing it often as well as visiting I have my own theory of why it was built. About 4,500 years ago a very powerful chief lived in the area and one day he summoned all his warriors and other men to a gathering where he addressed them. "Right lads, we've got a big project that has to be tackled. The wife wants a garden folly.......!"
Thanks Dan for yet another absolutely fascinating video. You brilliantly capture the humanity within the history.
I wanna say thank you, I had pneumonia over Christmas and into February and in the time I was awake I watched lots of your content it is fascinating. I'm lucky to be based in Dover at the moment and as you know there's many historical sites locally and I can look at it all with a greater knowledge thanks to you. CZcams is something else mate, thanks again.
Thank you very much. I hope you are fully recovered now. Thanks for watching.
I might make a trip to Dover soon. I need to make a video about prehistoric boats and there's one at the museum.
@@DanDavisHistory ooh, prehistoric boats? yes, please!
I do love the insightful, open minded and lightly humorous way you cover these very distant nuggets of our history.
I'm an R1b and love the way you convey the early history of Britain.
Me too 👍
The sheep shagging was brought in by the Anatolian farmers
@user-rq7el8nh6q I can verify that! My time in the Middle East gave me a full education.
Lovely editing, footage and narration as always.
I'm definitely looking forward to watching the documentary fully after work.
Respect from Germany! 💪
Great video Dan, my dad did his training in Wiltshire and used to paint Stonehenge. Certainly a magical place. Love your books, yours videos and what a lovely voice you have : ) X
Thank you so much 🙏
Cool
I really love Dan's videos, and the best thing about his scripts for me, is how he alwasy gives a bunch of cool but very plausible hypotesis about the use, function or history of artifacts we can't know about for sure. It's like tens of little stories in one.
The fact that he was so highly esteemed despite his disability implies that he was either a hereditary ruler or performed some truly impressive feats in his youth, quite possibly both. But then he may have taken an arrow to his knee, cutting short his adventures.
Indeed! The bones of his back and shoulders are formed in a way that suggests he was a lifelong archer. Not as much as a medieval longbowman's skeleton but then the bronze age bows had much lighter draws. Enough to make a difference in his bones as they grew though. So we can be fairly sure he had a proficiency there at least.
@@DanDavisHistory That is a super interesting detail! I have been always fascinated how you can read the occupation of the person from their bones, even thousands of years ago! It brings the person alive in my mind!
@@DanDavisHistory Very interesting and makes perfect sense cosidering that most of his archery was possibly not done in battles but rather while hunting. Looking at the way some african tribes hunt with bows nowadays (or did so until quite recently) he wouldn't have to be an incredibly fast runner since they often walk up on the animals in a rather slow and casual manner.
@@DanDavisHistoryI have been looking for some sources on how bows developed from neolithic to high middle. Or at least how the prefered drawweights changed and varied over time / region. Because if they had bronze armour woukd they not need similar draw as they did in the 14th?
@@DanDavisHistory Brilliant video. Excellent quality on many levels. One question: Cleary his status and rank were high. But how stratified was the society in the bronze age? The travelling evidence is super fascinating, which makes me think of diplomatic status or merchant or exchange of knowledge of some kind. Thanks.
What a fascinating video again Dan. I love how you tell a story, you bring history alive!
A wonderful piece of work. You never cease to amaze . Optics, narration and information simply fantastic. Thank you so much Dan . 🇮🇪
Another great documentary, thanks so much Dan! Well explained, right amount of caution, and engaged with the current research.
An enjoyable lunchtime video. A great video about the Amesbury Archer. Thanks Dan.
Just as I finished watching all your previous videos, ha! Thank you for all your work Dan!
Excellent video. And, appreciate the look into the world this man lived in. It can, even thousands of years later reveal how human we are.
Great video. The ending made me emotional somehow hahaha 10/10. I've been reading your Godborn book too, am at around page 100 when Holkis first escapes his uncle's clan and the story shifts to his mother. I'm greatly hooked the progress of the story is neither too fast nor slow it's perfect
I love how clearly you explain things. So glad to have found your channel. Fellow Brit here
This was awesome thanks, loving these bronze age videos. Its my favorite time in history and you tell a great story. I know you are an author and will hate to hear this but, I rarely read. Personally, I like listening. I learn better through watching and listening. Always have and I'm now 42 so I wanted to say thank you. I appreciate what you do and always look forward to your vids. Cheers from Seattle Dan.
Always a great day when a new video drops! What a fascinating time, i desperately wish we knew more about how on earth a 90% population turnover happened in the absence of signs of a violent conquest. I believe that study also showed that the remaining 10% neolithic farmer DNA was primarily isolated to Scotland. There are so many new technologies that coincide with the bronze age beyond metal working. Like wool production, horse riding, the wheel, the rotary quern, and beer drinking culture. If those things were also brought by BBF its hard to imagine local women not seeing the benefit of these new people with their new ways and choosing mates accordingly.
Thank you. The 10% surviving Neolithic genes were not limited to Scotland but were spread throughout the population throughout the bronze age. There is a paper that argues the 10% EEF ancestry in middle and late bronze age Britain actually came from higher-EEF ancestry gene exchange with people from Continental Europe (along with Celtic languages and culture) around 1000 BC but that's debated. Anyway there were some British Neolithic people who passed on their genes into the later gene pool but exactly how it happened isn't clear.
Perhaps the initial contact with Bell Beaker people did spread some kind of plague that wiped out much of the population - similar to the European colonisation of the New World - that helped the Bell Beaker colonisation.
I love the clarity and simplicity with which you deliver this information. I found this video fascinating. It makes me want to look more into how the Neolithic age transformed into the bronze age. Thank you so much for your research.
I live in a part of the Great Plains where several different Native American tribes have predominated over the centuries (most recently the Sioux/Lakota). It is illuminating to realize that it wasn't necessarily grand invasions (or genocides) that explain many of the changes on the historical maps, but the gradual introductions of new technologies, languages, and cultural practices being adopted by the existing populations.
Great vid as usual - I always look forward to the Bronze Age docs more than the others. I wonder if a short doc on bronze age medical practices might be interesting.
Love your work Dan! It always gives rise to interesting reflections on the nature of humanity
I love the way you speculate about this man’s life using the items in their grave, such a great video and such a wonderful way to bring Bronze Age Britain to life.
Thank you again for putting in so much work to give us an entertaining and educational experience. I listened to a Neil Oliver podcast on this subject a couple of days ago so I was very excited to see video of the artifacts.
It would be intresting to see a video about other "Henges" (inside and outside Britain) their differences and their possible connections. Like the "woodhenge" in Pömmelte etc.
Yes, that would be interesting. I'll do that.
@@DanDavisHistory yes!! I would love to see both a general "henge" video like the one described above, as well ... *but* that made me think about the wooden henge just up (down?) the way from Stonehenge and the recent finds, and the emerging theories (like the idea that the wood henge was for the living, so to speak, and Stonehenge for the dead). Might just be something that would fall under a general henge video, but I think it could maybe make a good standalone episode, especially if you bring in the large amounts of domestic finds near the wood henge that points to it being where the people who built &/or celebrated at Stonehenge lived (or at least stayed during ritual season)!
Lovely video. I've always found transitional periods (and transitional periods in general) deeply fascinating. I also really appreciate your including your sources in the description!
Thank you for this video (among the best I've seen on the subject) and for your channel. Top quality content.
Wonderful episode as always! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, AA.
Fascinating how the Amesbury Archer continues the Stone Age fighting style of using a bow then closing to finish off wounded opponents with axe or knife. Amazing how long this fighting style persisted, as some of the earliest depictions of human conflict painted on cave walls show this exact style of combat. Makes one wonder how much of an archetype it became since so many heroes in mythology are prominently archers, even later on in cultures that are not necessarily known for their archery in those later times. Hercules, Hayk, and Odysseus come to mind, as well as the duel in the Tale of Sinuhe from Egypt. David and Goliath is also similar, though obviously substituting a sling. And it might also just be a really effective way to fight for people who have the time to train with such a technical weapon. So much we don't know. Obviously the simplest explaination is the most likely, but it def gives the mind lots to ponder.
Very interesting
As always big thank you Dan! Your work is the best and love it! Especially bronze age videos
Great footage! It really adds to these kind of docs. Even the excavation photos!
Quality stuff and insights as always Dan Davis.
What a thoroughly fascinating video. Dan you are a legend. Blown away by genetic research.
Excellent production. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it.
Really excellent documentary - both very Interesting & highly informative & a superb history lesson as always. Very many thanks.
I don't know why but I didn't get a notification the other day but maybe it was meant to be because I got to get off work and relax and learn..thank you Dan so much...I'm gonna go grab a book here in a minute
wonderful combination of story and packed full of information. Thank You for all your wisdom and talent. I really enjoy your videos
Lovely video, as always! Great topic!
I’ve watched a few of your videos before, but I just subscribed after this one. Great channel, looking forward to seeing more.
The books you wrote look very interesting. Thank you for the educational programs you have developed
Another belter, thanks Dan.
Whenever i see a new vid from this chanel, i leave anything aside, put my airpods and go gor a walk. I always press the like video before watching it. Never been disapointed. Thanks for your work
Thank you very much 🙏
Imagine these ancient people not only just surviving and hanging on but instead thriving, traveling and dealing with their kind. Hunting gear found in so many places means that there was still a lot of wildlife, wilderness and dangerous forests. I bet they used the many rivers in Europe back in time to move fast.
Great stuff!! as always Sir
Great video keep up the good work.
Wow! Wonderful and gripping presentation and truly informative! A great historian like Mark Felton.
Wonderful as usual, you are educating us for free !
Your videos seem like they are the result of an amazing amount of research as well as looking at the work of archaeologists like the "time team" guys and girls.... There are many people who comment on old episodes of time team that they wish they could find out what happens aftee the dig is filmed... Now I know where to point people to see what can come from digs.. The stories you tell, the possibilities you detail are really fascinating. As an author you can speculate or interpret so much more than the archaeology community. I guess because they have to be very careful about what they say or it becomes a game of speculation. I don't mean to be offensive but rather they do their jobs of gathering and recording the evidence and information while you do your job of helping the everyday person see what history may have looked like, personalising it so we can see people, community and their environment through their eyes as they lived.
Thankyou for your faithful gathering of all the information and the way you present it. I wish we could have this sort of information available to explain the history, culture, environment and interactions of the Aboriginal people of my country. There does seem to exist pockets of cultural information but it's not as connected or explored as the UK. Blessings from South Eastern Australia, Dot
i really enjoyed this, well presented and produced. subed
great video once again, can't wait to see how all this research plays part of the gods of bronze series
Very interesting vid again 👍
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱, T.
If I remember correctly, Bernard Cornewll wrote a novel about this find. Stonehenge was the title, if I'm not wrong.
He did. It's one of his least loved books. I'm glad he made the effort though.
Thank you for giving a well informed history of my path. It's extremely enlightened and still performed and digested by this ancestral recreationalist andvpractitioners. Much thanks brother
Fantastic video. Congrats.
Brilliant video thanks. I like that you presented different theories that may explain the findings before you divulge information from other excavations. It lets the viewer think themselves and consider which theories paint the likeliest picture of what happened.
Hey Dan, Great video! Did you by chance read Bernard Cornwell's novel 'Stonehenge'? And if so, what did you think about it? Both on a historical accuracy/plausibility perspective and an enjoyment of the interpretation perspective.
As a geologist I cannot avoid connecting geologic maps, related mineral outcrops and the regions where these cultures lived.
i love this period of history, so fascinating!
Me too.
This was an excellent video. Thank you Dan Davis
Man these shows are really good.
I love your videos. Every one is such an experience
Brilliant, thank you!
Well presented
Thank you.
Excellent presentation.
Always super excited to see your new video.. just perfect
Enjoyed the video
Fantastic work. Really appreciate this. Bless up 👊
Ive been hooked on Godborn. I was afraid it wouldnt be as good as your youtube channel but I was wrong. I kept imagining the songs from the Disney Hercules in my head as I read.
Amazing, archaeology is amazing, I love it.
Fascinating video!
I have been thinking about what grave goods I want to be buried with 😃
Absolutely fascinating... Huzzah!! 😊
Thank you for the excellent presentation. As much as I have studied about ancient cultures, I had not heard about the Amesbury Archer. I wonder if it has ever been considered that Stonehenge might have been made with a roof to cover it. Now that archaeologists agree that the stone circles at Gobekli Tepe and other tepes had roofs and were entered from above, it seems like something to consider. I realize there is a huge time difference between the tepes in Turkey and Stonehenge, but I've never heard it discussed.
Thanks again for the video cheers to you and my Bell beaker folks
Simply fantastic.
Thanks for showing the grave goods, piece by piece and clearly. He is shown in Artist's impressions covered on a textile with triangle pattern . What is this based on?
Very interesting, thanks.
hi Dan - could the 'Oera Linda' book explain this period of UK / European history - watching your videos brings this book to life visually for me for this pre celtic period of europe. Would be awesome if you could do a video on this book
Thanks for this vid Dan 👍
I wonder this man’s philosophy was in life, given how hard yet very easy some things were back then.
I’ve always felt a strong connection to the Beaker folk. Low & behold, took a few dna test I’m half English, I range between 45%-60% depending on the test. Although I lack the beaker Haplo 😂. I’m N1c (N-L550). 50% English the other 50% is Norwegian, German, & Polish, typical Ameramutt 😆. On G25 I always score between 0.029 & 0.045 with the Beaker folk, & Score 50.4% Corded Ware Pure Steppe.
Love your videos, btw.
His life philosophy was probably something like, "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." Yeah....
@@Winterascent I almost made that joke 😆
@@barfturd1607 lol
isn't N1c Finnish?
@@captainfury497 N1c is found in Finland & peaks in Finland, but my Subclade N-L550 peaks in places like Estonia with the rest of the Baltic states & Parts of Sweden then Finland. Haplogroups have nothing to do with your atDNA (autosomal dna ) L550 has even been found in Scotland. My Haplogroup has nothing to do with me being half English & the rest of me being Norwegian, German, & Polish.
Why do you ask?
Nice work.
Fascinating, my father found a broken beaker in a lake in Switzerland ( 1930) and I still have it , I shall brush off the cobwebs and dust and wonder at the story it could tell me 👍🦘
Hello🎉 wonderful information... Oh ever since childhood. I have always taken to good information. That in itself takes time to weed through. Going to Scotland in the fall 2023. To look for my roots. Modern technology gives us a glimpse. . thanks to you and the tube. J.W.
excellent
Fascinating.
Thanks I really enjoyed that.
Very informative and polished upload. I often wonder if Stone Henge was actually finished? Guess we will never know.
Would you ever come to the 'States across the pond and take a look at some of our indigenous tribes' stories, cultural and historical sites, and artefacts ? It's not quite neolithic but might be a cool crossover. Cheers.
Great stuff! :)
Fascinating as always.
Thoughtful and challenging on the previously perceived.
Thanks!
Thank you very much.
Another great vid.
Maybe the artefacts around his legs were part of the brace for his damaged knee?
It makes sense that there WOULD have been cultural links between Wales and Stonehenge; the stones were shipped from there, so there must have been some degree of cultural contact just to arrange the purchase and delivery.
The tarsal conjunction both the Archer and Companion had is NOT unnoticeable. I had/have the same condition, discovered when I was about 9 and any extended walking was excruciating. I had surgery to separate the bones, but they wouldn't have had that opportunity, and had some pain most of their lives.
Fascinating, so what do you think he did in life? Smithing?
You may have experienced symptomatic tarsal coalition but analysis of the Archer and the Companion show that their non-osseous cases were most likely asymptomatic.
"... neither individual here shows the osteophyte formation on the head of the talus often associated with the pathological condition..." from the report by Jacqueline I. McKinley.