From this time, too, power seems to have shifted to
the Thames valley and southeast Britain. Except for
short periods, political and economic power has
remained in the southeast ever since. Hill-forts
replaced henges as the centres of local power, and
most of these were found in the southeast,
suggesting that the land successfully supported more
people here than elsewhere.
There was another reason for the shift of power
eastwards. A number of better-designed bronze
swords have been found in the Thames valley,
suggesting th at the local people had more advanced
metalworking skills. Many of these swords have
been found in river beds, almost certainly thrown
in for religious reasons. This custom may be the
origin of the story of the legendary King Arrhur's
sword, which was given to him from out of the
water and which was thrown back into the water
when he died.
