Archaeological breakthrough: mystery of ancient UK site revealed after 5,000 years | UK

This monument in Cornwall is much older than previously thought and was erected after archaeologists discovered new information about the ancient structure.

King Arthur’s Hall is 4,000 years older than experts originally thought, reports Cornwall Live.

The rectangular earth and stone shaft known as King Arthur’s Hall is located in the remote area of Bodmin Moor.

The area is renowned for containing much of Cornwall’s history, with a famous prison, beautiful moorland, the legendary Bodmin Beast and other cultural attractions.

Historic England has classified King Arthur’s Hall as “high risk” due to the growth of vegetation around it – there are 56 standing stones around it, resting on the ground or partially buried.

Excavations carried out at the site by Historic England initially led people to believe it was likely a medieval animal pen.

But experts now believe the monument could be prehistoric due to the standing stones and could have been built during the Middle Neolithic period.

Phil McMahon, Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England, said: “We supported the research at King Arthur’s Hall with grant funding and expert advice to ensure that the cutting-edge scientific methods used to analyze the monument had the best chance of producing results. .

“With King Arthur’s Hall listed on our Heritage in Danger Register, our overall aim was to better understand the date and character of the monument so that its condition can be improved and its future management tailored to its needs.

“The news that King Arthur’s Hall dates back to the Neolithic era is exciting and adds significant temporal depth to this enigmatic site which has few parallels in England. This enriches the history of the monument and adds an intriguing dimension to the wider background of Bodmin Moor. »

Local volunteers took part in the excavation to support teams from the universities of Reading, St Andrews and Newcastle who were exploring the site.

Dr Tim Kinnaird, from the University of St Andrews, said: “It is extremely exciting that we have finally been able to date the construction of this mysterious monument, previously based on myths and legends.

“Having an accurate date for the construction of King Arthur’s Hall in the late fourth millennium BC is a major discovery: we will now have to reassess our understanding of the prehistoric landscape of Bodmin Moor.”

Pete Herring, president of the Cornwall Archaeological Society, said: “The romantic-sounding 16th-century name King Arthur’s Hall tells us that this is a site that the moorlanders regard as something ancient and incomprehensible, like other sites attributed to Arthur. Science has responded to the challenge of this name by establishing a very early date of origin and two other dates, later prehistoric and medieval, when activity took place in the enclosure.

“The monument retains its secret: there are no Neolithic parallels to the stone-lined and embanked rectangular enclosure, possibly a water one. We can assume that it was a sacred place, a place for gatherings, for rituals or ceremonies, but perhaps Neolithic people created and used it for completely different purposes.

“Its later prehistoric and medieval reuse dates may relate to two of Cornwall’s greatest sources of wealth, supporting sustainable summer pastures across vast public areas and then serving as a reservoir for water used in the mining of tin streams. These dates, remarkable as they are, encourage further exploration of King Arthur’s Hall.”

A management plan for the site is being developed in collaboration with Historic England, Natural England, the landowner and the Hamateti community.

Repairs have already been made to the fence around the monument to prevent erosion from livestock.

Anyone visiting the site is reminded that it is a protected monument and is at risk of erosion caused by visitors. This area of the marsh is grazed by livestock and visitors are required to adhere to village code and not disturb the monument or livestock.