Stonehenge's Richest Man | The Bush Barrow Chieftain | Curator's Corner S7 Ep2

Today we're doing something a little different. We're taking Curator's Corner on the road! Wiltshire Museum in Devizes has very kindly lent us the objects excavated from Bush Barrow for our upcoming 'The world of Stonehenge' exhibition. But before they were taken off display, we grabbed some time with director David Dawson, to find out what makes the Bush Barrow Chieftain such an important figure for our understanding of British prehistory and the world of Stonehenge.
‘The world of Stonehenge’ opens 17 February 2022. Get tickets here: bit.ly/3rEKOMQ
Organised with the State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
#Prehistory #CuratorsCorner #TheWorldOfStonehenge

[@britishmuseum]

Find out more about our Stonehenge exhibition here: bit.ly/3tZWtps And if you can't make it to the show, you might want to check out the exhibition book here: bit.ly/3IhiXaI If you're outside of the UK you can also buy the exhibition book here: bit.ly/3IchOBa

[@sean659]

Please return stolen artifacts around the world.

[@sean659]

Who the f@ck care about the Stone hedge?

[@sean659]

Do you feel proud of yourself display stolen artifacts? Do you not feel shame?

[@Wayzor_]

I greatly appreciate this channel and access the the British Museum it allows me. As a poor American living in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee. This is as close to the British Museum as I will be able to get. Thank you for your efforts.

[@ChristophersMum]

These remarkable artefacts and histories could quite easily be from your ancestors as well.✨ Hi from Scotland💌😁🖖

[@greengoblin876]

@@ChristophersMum very true , double greetings from Scotland , Edinburgh to be precise and as the pilot said after The first Scottish parachute jump " Jocks Away " lol.

[@BenjiMordino]

You could visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, sure not quite the same, but I would love to visit the Met (and the British Museum, living in neither the US or UK makes it a tad tricky).

[@melissaholley9448]

I'm in Appalachia in East Tn! Went to Stonehenge... couldn't get near it. Their chain link fence is identical to ours.

[@HolyBlowhole]

The American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium in NYC are both amazing places to visit! There’s a subway stop right under the museum so it’s very easy to get to.

[@stephenroberts9913]

This is a very nice video: straightforward, clear and easy to follow without being patronising. The presenter does not overact, but his professionalism and deep knowledge are evident. Thank you.

[@WiltshireMuseumDevizes]

Thank you!

[@pippad531]

Planning to visit soon, I have a family connection to Stonehenge, my Great-Great Grandfather was the Caretaker during the 20/30's. They lived in a cottage which is no longer there, she'd go to the Stones daily by Horse and Cart with her 5 sisters and they'd play there. She is almost 103 and has such magical memories 🌸

[@NotAnAngryLesbian]

Be sure to go to Avebury as well. Free. No crowds. Touch the stones all you like.

[@grimmace9081]

amazing that your grandfather was a "she"

[@BestMods168]

@@grimmace9081 That's because the trend these days is to pretend that one has a personal connection/relationship to said events. I've been seeing such claims lately on youtube.

[@Oliviawww164]

Reading Bernard Cornwells "Stonehenge" at the moment. This is exactly how I see the Characters.

[@midmiddleton163]

Our ancestors do not get the credit deserved. Look at all the gold artifacts and megalithic structures. This is wonderous and beautiful.

[@jessl1934]

Are you serious? This place is called Stone Hedge. You know what we call a hedge made of stones where I live? We call it a bunch of rocks. Anyone can give a name to a pile of rocks like that. The only thing that's impressive is that people think it's something marvellous, as if they've never seen rocks before in their lives.

[@jessl1934]

@@ario4795 With your mom

[@vespasian266]

Our ancestors?.... thats stretching things, our ancestors came out of Ukraine. thats how we come to speak an indo european language. well to be fair the men migrated from Ukraine and took the women as they moved through Europe and into Britain. we are a mix of steppe nomads and Mediterranean farmers. the Mediterranean farmers built Stonehenge.

[@vespasian266]

@@ario4795 Well I didn't mention the WHG on account of trying to keep things simple. apparently the bell beaker peoples shifted a few stones to new positions.

[@MossyMozart]

@@jessl1934 - Are you speaking in "Drunk History"?

[@dylanmosley6237]

This chief would have been contemporaneous with the Sumerians and Egyptians after they had constructed some of their greatest Ziggurats and Pyramids, so maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised that people living in Britain had advanced knowledge of metal working and astronomy too at that time.

[@brianwalsh1401]

Or that he was the ruling elite of the time. It seems people have always had the big cheese on top probably form the time we were monkeys,

[@shinywarm6906]

@@brianwalsh1401 Graeber and Wengrow's recent book makes a convincing case that this isn't so. Many places and times produce no archeological evidence of elite burials or heroic statuary. But these don't get much publicity or big exhibitions, precisely because they don't have the kind of treasures that make for a spectacular exhibition

[@jacktravers5049]

@@ario4795 Knowth and dowth in Ireland have more complex calculations, of the moon too which could only have been done after many thousands of years of recording it at that stage already. There was a wooden stonehenge on the hill of Tara where Kings would go through a crowing ceremony. Other Kings had their ceremonies at ancient trees that unfortunately were burned during tribal warfare.

[@dingus_doofus]

@@shinywarm6906 You'll find most places in the modern world not going out of their way to venerate heroes or elites with lavish burials or statues. Just the major population and political centres... The fact that not all places had big burials for whoever is at the top of the local hierarchy doesn't mean they didn't have a hierachy, or that they didn't venerate elites and heroes beyond the borders of their little hamlet. It's just logistics.

[@edgeeffect]

Nice to see that learning and advanced technology had reached "The Third World".

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

Humans have always been creative. We used to make beautiful everyday objects beautiful. Sad we lost that.

[@lechatel]

We didn't. There are amazing craftspeople working today too. You simply have to look past all the mass-produced tat.

[@PeterGasston]

Thank you for stressing the craft, artistry, and time that went into making these objects, understanding this care and attention is what brings history to life for me. The World of Stonehenge is exhibition is fantastic, highly recommended if you can make it along.

[@casteretpollux]

Glorious. Such a shame we don't have textiles from that time: judging by the metalwork they would have been very fine.

[@ge2623]

Teacher: "Billy do you know what they make in a textile factory?" Billy: Yes, around $12 an hour"

[@stinew358]

There are a few tiny examples.

[@casteretpollux]

@@stinew358 Where are they?

[@colinp2238]

My connection to the area started in early 1972, my first army posting, after training was in Bulford Camp. Later that year I was stationed in BAOR in Germany and a few years later I attehded a course at Larkhill, from my dormitory window I could see Stonehenge.

[@welshpete12]

A remarkable story , you bring a window into a lost world . Thank you for posting !

[@kc3718]

Devizes is an excellent museum, superb for the bronze age locality, really worth a visit.

[@Alanoffer]

Somehow I get the feeling that those days could have been the peak of human civilisation ,

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Not if you got a now easily treated disease it wasn't.

[@ophelias4172]

Goddamn it British Museum! You're going to make me have to save enough money to go back to the UK so I can check out all this stuff!

[@eric2500]

"Do go and see it." Yes, I can't wait to travel again, and the UK is at the top. Invitation accepted!

[@princecharon]

Did anyone else wince a little at the bit about the trowel scattering the gold pins? Good illustration of why modern archaeologists and paleontologists use so many brushes, though.

[@MossyMozart]

@princecharon - And then sift the soil they excavate.

[@laurenmary9296]

These are absolutely stunning artifacts, and a priceless amount of history held therein.

[@StefanMilo]

Simply incredible

[@SunnyOddny]

based stefan milo moment

[@richardcolbourne6151]

Me and my girlfriend just visited Stonehenge today for the first time. It was a pleasure and an honour to be there. English heritage have done a great job preserving the area. We've got some fantastic pictures 🙂

[@Mrch33ky]

It's a cemetery luv. Didja say a prayer or did you empty ye bowels in ye ancestors ditch?

[@richardcolbourne6151]

@@Mrch33ky oh look. I seem to have attracted a c**t.

[@tim3tRav3l3RR60]

Imagine someone 4k years ago coming back and watching this say," that was ted, he stole my walking stick lol"

[@IslandGirlKelly]

😂 Hilarious.

[@ciaragrey5523]

So wonderful to see the artifacts and have the story behind them. Thank you.

[@sybilvane645]

I love the way he talks.

[@tristanbareham5638]

Stunning artefacts presented with great clarity.

[@jessicaredman1115]

The detail of these artifacts amazes me. Such incredible work and technological expertise over 4,000 years ago.Thank you so much for sharing this!

[@Foxglove963]

Ah, that marvellous museum of Devizes! During my second visit I could not find the Bush Barrow Template. When I asked, they said it is locked in a safe. Oh well...

[@WiltshireMuseumDevizes]

Make sure that you come and visit us again! After the BM exhibition closes, then Bush Barrow will be back on display along with objects form the other important burials in the Stonehenge landscape.

[@melissah4515]

I just discovered your channel and am so happy I did! Now off to binge-watch! -Happy New Subscriber

[@britishmuseum]

Welcome to the channel!

[@edgeeffect]

It's nice to see Curator's Corner going out on the road... especially to just down the road from me.... Be nice to see more from smaller local museums in the future.

[@patriciahartner7336]

I'm lucky to have seen these items at Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, thanks for bringing such rich context to them for me!

[@kidkong637]

He resembles Yogurt from Spaceballs!! Lol😂😂😂✌️

[@glennwheeler749]

Thanks for doing these. I would so love to be able to visit the museum in person but grateful to be able to enjoy this thorough and thoroughly interesting story. More please!

[@brlvper4]

Man dropped his whole inventory on death and we're just looking at it

[@rhondahuggins9542]

Miraculous that these burials remained unlooted for so long...apart from the rabbits who could not give a toss about some long dead human.😉

[@RaulEdu33]

Mesmerized by the metallurgy and craftsmanship 😲🥇🪨🛸

[@karyne826]

I enjoyed this talk, so very interesting. Would be good to hear more from Devizes Museum.

[@WiltshireMuseumDevizes]

We are on KZbin at kzbin.info . Drop by and say hello.

[@k8eekatt]

So much time and care taken to shape these items.

[@rcrawford42]

I thought Salisbury Museum was the museum of record for Stonehenge. Looks like I have another stop to make in England when the world gets back to normal.

[@Ater_Draco]

Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, is the museum for the whole county, which includes Stonehenge, & the city of Salisbury

[@barryconway]

excellent. would that every display cabinet might have a curator in the corner.

[@oscresson]

Could the lozenge (with its 81 degree angle) have been used as a sextant to predict solstices by holding flat at eye level with the long axis pointing from your eye due east and seeing how close the sunrise is to the left point in summer and right in winter?!

[@MossyMozart]

@Os Creson - Whether it was or not, that is a thoughtful, intelligent question. Keep thinking!

[@alayneperrott9693]

Really interesting short talk. I find it fascinating that the Bronze Age (?Celtic, steppe) invaders continued to revere the Neolithic monument.

[@ChristophersMum]

You don't want to be going around disrespecting the gods of the earlier population...they could still be listening⚡

[@aroutledge9565]

The people and the gods were alike

[@garysmith3173]

Thank you. A wonderful presentation.

[@davidevans3227]

must visit this museum! thankyou so much for sharing this 🙂

[@wendywobbles1]

And we think humans today are clever and more intelligent than people from thousands of years ago, I think not! great video thank you for sharing]

[@jinz0]

just same with better access to info and technology

[@MontyCantsin5]

I don't know anyone who thinks that. Our cognitive capacities haven't changed for about 50,000 years.

[@theinqov]

I didn't know Philip Scofield worked at the British Museum.

[@DipityS]

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing these wonderful finds.

[@Eudaimonia88]

Fascinating talk. Thank you. 🙏

[@Pembroke.]

This is incredible story into amazing lost world, and the burrowing rabbits stole the show. Thank you everyone for sharing all your hard work. Cheers 🍺

[@DarkBardess]

Fascinating, thank you!

[@fins59]

Wow fascinating, I went to Stonehenge before they fenced it off, touched the stones and took photos, one of which had a sort of light bolt through it!

[@martywanlass4774]

I visited it earlier also, and badly wanted to go back and join the Druids for a summer solstice event. Its still on my wish list.

[@fleshen]

Just amazed me! Thank you!

[@grahamturner1290]

Excellent, thanks!

[@Ravencall]

Fascinating!

[@TheFreshSpam]

Great video. Top watch

[@tomg5187]

Incredible!

[@memyselfi0120]

Very interesting. I wonder if there is a connection to the burial mounds of Scandinavia, from the Funnelbeaker to the Nordic Bronze age, to Classical Antiquity and the Germanic tribes. The weapons and jewelry are especially similar.

[@WiltshireMuseumDevizes]

There are links across Europe at this time (c. 200BC) including the use of amber (from the Baltic) and walrus ivory (perhaps Norway).

[@memyselfi0120]

A great history of long distance traders.

[@KernowekTim]

Superb presentation. Many thanks.

[@ColdHawk]

Love this video series! That was great

[@123456wasp]

That was very interesting. Thank you. 😎👍

[@movingpicutres99]

Thank you for this wonderful presentation.

[@aspektx]

Another great one. Thanks for the quality education.

[@CodCats]

too interesting it's unbelievable!

[@geraldcapon392]

Thank you.

[@FinarfinNoldorin]

Amazing!! I LOVE this history! So fascinating to learn about these ancestors :)

[@llc1976]

Fascinating

[@StefanScripca]

Now all I wish for is a show about the Stonehenge's ruling family. Preferably made by the same people who made Rome.

[@pralinesouffle]

At 2:14, the labels for winter and summer solstice appear to have been reversed. Just a nitpick, but given the significance of these events to the builders of Stonehenge, it seems worth noting. A fascinating video, thank you.

[@fraujohnsen6189]

If I look to the east (sunrise) and north is on my left then the labels should be correct.

[@serendipity7749]

@@fraujohnsen6189 The labels are wrong. The sun rises in the north-east (approximately) at the summer solstice, and in the south-east at the winter solstice. So the left-hand sunrise is summer, and the right-hand is winter.

[@fraujohnsen6189]

@@serendipity7749 Sorry, you are absoloutly correct. :)

[@ChristophersMum]

A fascinating journey back in time...it was too short, I could have listened to more about what was discovered about ''The Chieftain''...there wouldn't by any chance be remains in his barrow?

[@martywanlass4774]

I'd be interested in DNA studies. My family on both sides is from all over Britain, and I'd love to know if this ancient chieftain was an ancestor.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

Great showcase. I'm sorry I won't be around for the BM exhibit but next time we're in Wiltshire we'll be sure to stop by.

[@malcolmtudor8039]

"It is the rabbit! Look at the bones!"

[@chuckhillier4153]

Thanks

[@barbarahuff117]

Good show.

[@jimschiltz5343]

Fascinating! In many ways, were are no more than a half-step advanced than these folks.

[@josephskiles]

I really enjoyed this, thank you.

[@craigthomas652]

Shows how we where more advanced than the Romans made out! thousands of years before they even arrived.

[@rickbear7249]

David, Thank you for creating a video about the Barrows that surround the Stonehenge site. Since first visiting the iconic stone circles, I've long had a yearning to hear more about the incredible number of Barrows that encircle the henge. If those massive stones didn't exist, then those Barrows would be a visitor attraction in their own right; drawing people from around the globe. Discussions about removing the A303 road, possibly through a tunnel, often make mention of the "landscape" around Stonehenge. This video of yours, David, barely scratches the surface of why that 'landscape' is so historically and culturally important. Please, would you consider making a few more Curator's Corner videos to explain even more about those Barrows and their place in the landscape? I'm sure you have so much more to tells us. So, next time we visit this site, our eyes will be turned outwards from the monolithic stones, and we'll look out with new vision to gaze in awe across our ancient landscape. Thank you, Rick

[@rickbear7249]

By the way, David, when I requested a follow-up video about the wider landscape, I was referring to the immediate area around Stonehenge. There is plenty of material about the wider landscape, including Avebury, Durrington Rings, Silbury Hill, the avenue, etc., but a dearth of information about Stonehenge's immediate neolithic landscape, especially the hundreds of Barrows. Thanks, Rick

[@patriciajrs46]

Thank you for a wonderful video and explanation. We, homebodies, don't know much about England and why these places wete created. Thanks again.

[@edgardocarrasquillo9]

Thank you Sir. Very interesting find.

[@katrussell6819]

Hoping there is more to see of the Stonehenge show at the BM somewhere on line. I heard it is amazing. Wish I could go to see it myself.

[@markhand4530]

What is interesting is how unlike egyptian tombs these mounds were never robbed by people which must mean the people living either never knew about the practise of burying grave goods or they had some much reverence of the chieftains they choose not to touch them, but obviously later generations must have forgotten about this mounds purpose as surely theives would have robbed it. Would welcome more knowledgable theories on this from others as i just curious about archeology but have no formal studies.

[@cowlevelcrypto2346]

Stunning find. I often ponder what the legal passage of time is required before our archeology is no longer considered grave robbing?

[@Foxglove963]

CowLevelCrypto. That's a good question. In the Netherlands for instance, so many digging companies have a license to dig and ruthlessly wipe ancient barrows and Celtic temples. The diggers don't love the places and hence don't fully understand them and miss obvious features solidly linked to measure and astronomy. Some barrows have been excavated three times!

[@hetrodoxly1203]

I think it's 99 year lease in a cemetery in the UK, many cultures dig up the bones and store them communally to make room for more people to be buried.

[@OddLeah]

We have been 'human' for a VERY long time.

[@albundy9597]

If you stand outside a pub on a Friday night at closing time you wouldn't be so sure.

[@RoganGunn]

@@albundy9597 Nothing more human than getting drunk and beating seven shades of ... out of your neighbours, sadly!

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

And understood astronomy and mathematics. Again not so much today among ordinary folks.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

These were the black Rasta Kangs of the Wilshire hood.

[@adventussaxonum448]

Plot spoiler for the new BBC series.

[@shaunchurchill4594]

As per usual merely more conjecture about Stone Henge

[@JamesBarraletMusic]

It is likely that sophisticated society existed in Britain before Egypt. Most likely sourced in Orkney (the very ancient Ring of Brogdar).

[@shiddy.]

I believe this man would be proud to know that he ended up being the richest person to be buried there maybe he wondered and worried about someone else richer then him coming along in the future and taking that title from him 👍 bravo man, you did it - you won also, bravo to everyone who knew what he was buried with and kept it secret so it wouldn't be looted

[@Haseri8]

More local museums!

[@patrickskelly7520]

In other words this guy was just like all other leaders and more than likely had the gift of gabbing. Our politicians are the same today.

[@endless2804]

Imagine thinking that there was a hierarchical relationship between the people who populated the landscape?

[@BobMonty99]

Stone Henge used to be the centre of this country also look up ‘doggerland ‘where the UK was joined onto France Holland Scandinavia until the big comets came along ?

[@charlescoult]

It's interesting how the way it was discovered is considered 'history' now as well, albeit more recent.

[@secretagent86]

in a thousand years people will be excavating our graves and wonder about us

[@jinz0]

wonder what it would be like to talk to one of those people

[@davidbenner2289]

Sounds like my fire & rescue station. I kept my firefightrers busy. Anything for their lieutenant.

[@The_Real_Indiana_Joe]

I thought they found a magnifying glass in there for a minute.

[@gonefishing167]

So interesting, thank you. ‘Wow’ just doesn’t cover it. 👵👵👵🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@mrbutch308]

Wonderful! I was especially impressed by the fine workmanship of the gold objects. I wonder where they got their gold? Was it found within their own region, or was it imported from the continent?

[@Samouraii]

I believe there were gold reserves in Britain and Ireland at the time but also across in France and Brittany. I imagine given its rarity they would rework old gold object obtained through trade or passed down from their ancestors

[@copyrightcharacter1166]

These artefacts are as impressive as those daggers found in Egypt... If these were on display in the Egyptian hall no one would batter an eye.

[@letiekllib]

We love the British Museum it is a place of UnCommon Merit! We visit two or three times every other year when we visit London (our favorite city). billkeitel USA

[@emilehobo]

Maybe they buried them with their wealth to say, “Good luck with it!” Isn’t that a better explanation?