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Archaeology & History

Tomb linked to King Arthur is set to be excavated

By T.K. Randall
July 2, 2022 · Comment icon 6 comments

Arthur's stone. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 UKgeofan
Archaeologists are preparing to explore what lies inside a 5,000-year-old tomb known as Arthur's stone.
Situated in rural Herefordshire, this ancient stone structure consists of nine upright stones which support a larger 'capstone' believed to weigh upwards of 25 tons.

Underneath is thought to be some sort of burial chamber, however to date no evidence of remains has ever been discovered at the site, raising questions about who or what was once interred inside.

Now though, archaeologists from the University of Manchester are getting ready to excavate the site in an effort to determine once and for all exactly what lies beneath the stone.

"Arthur's Stone is one of the country's most significant Stone Age monuments," said Ginny Slade of English Heritage. "This gives a rare and exciting chance for the public to see archaeology in action."
The stone is said to bear the marks of King Arthur's fight with a dragon and also served as the inspiration behind the stone table in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Arthur himself remains steeped in mystery, with most historians agreeing that he was most likely a mythological figure.

Even so, the stories of his exploits have inspired countless tales of kings, dragons and wizards, including numerous modern-day TV, book and movie adaptations.

It will be very interesting to see what, if anything, lies beneath the stone which bears his name.

Source: Mail Online | Comments (6)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by The Silver Shroud 2 years ago
The only link is the name, I think. The stone is est. about 6k years old, King Arthur lived (if he did live and was not a complete myth) in the 5th or 6th Century.
Comment icon #2 Posted by jmccr8 2 years ago
Hi Silver Doesn't mean that it wasn't used later as a burial site it does say that the stone is engraved with Arthur's battle scene and that would have been done long after the stones were erected. Was kind of surprised that there was no mention of ground penetrating radar use to guild then in excavation or even if there is anything under ground.
Comment icon #3 Posted by jethrofloyd 2 years ago
Some research and excavations around the Arthur's Stone was done last year: Neolithic monument linked to King Arthur is older than Stonehenge https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ancient-monument-associated-with-King-Arthur-is-Older-than-Stonehenge-180978541/ Arthur's Stone dates to around 3700 B.C.E., making it a millennium older than Stonehenge, which was constructed around 2500 B.C.E. Per Atlas Obscura, the tomb consists of nine standing stones that support a 25-ton, 13- by 7-foot quartz capstone. As the statement notes, the site served as a source of inspiration for the Stone Tab... [More]
Comment icon #4 Posted by Nnicolette 2 years ago
I don't understand. Can't they scan what is in the ground before just digging? They have to already have an idea what they are looking for.
Comment icon #5 Posted by quiXilver 2 years ago
My thinking exactly @Nnicolette Ground penetrating radar is remarkably potent... but then they'd lose funding I guess, so bring in the shovels...
Comment icon #6 Posted by Abramelin 2 years ago
The technology, however, cannot pick up organic matter, meaning it will not be able to determine whether skeletal remains lie below. Over time, bones will absorb the minerals out of the soil and become very similar to the soil, said Steve Watson, owner of the Ontario-based Global GPR Services Inc. If it's a relatively new burial, a technician may be able to identify the bones or identify an object that looks like a bone within a couple of years of that object being buried, he said.  If you've got something that's 50, 60 years or 100 years or 200 years, you're not going to see the bones,   ... [More]


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