A MARLBOROUGH author has researched and written a book on an unusual find in Stonehenge dating back to what could possibly be Ancient Egypt.

Maria Wheatley, 51, of Marlborough, a former pupil of Highworth Warneford School, has released a book chronicling the discovery of an ancient burial site at Stonehenge 200 years ago. The burial site was found to contain an Egyptian woman, which is a rare find as usually burial discoveries are of Europeans.

Miss Wheatley said: “It was exciting researching the book and going to look at the Neolithic elongated skull. Looking at the skull was like looking into time. In Wiltshire, prehistoric monuments are all around us. Discovering that the largest long barrow in Northern Europe on Salisbury Plain housed an important woman was incredible.”

To research her book Miss Wheatley used archaeological reports from original excavators of the site and a report from Cheltenham Museum.

“I got involved by researching long barrows and reading the original archaeology reports. From a Neolithic long barrow on Salisbury Plain (c3600 BC), a skull and remains was extracted by early antiquarians. Usually, long barrows were used by the Neolithic people as communal graves with up to 50 individuals placed within the internal chambers of the long mound – like at West Kennet Long Barrow, near Avebury.

The discovery of the long barrow led to something that archaeologists were not expecting.

“One long mound that lies on Salisbury Plain is the largest barrow in England and it was constructed and reserved for one person alone, and the individual was a woman. This is a highly unusual and rare find. Clearly, she was an important person, possibly a ruling High Queen or priestess of the Stonehenge area.”

After more research, Miss Wheatley managed to trace the remains of the woman who was buried in the mound at Salisbury.

“I traced her remains to a top British university and realised from the original antiquation reports and the shape of the skull it was very different to the European round skulls. In fact her skull was long and elongated like Egyptian dynasties of Tutankhamun. From one long barrow on the Plain came evidence of head binding to make the elongated shape,” Miss Wheatley added.

Miss Wheatley’s book, The Elongated Skulls of Stonehenge, is available from Amazon for £7.99, www.theaveburyexperience.co.uk or the Henge Shop, Avebury for £4.99.