A palace has been discovered at Tintagel in Cornwall where King Arthur is believed to have been born.
The palace is believed to have been built in the sixth century - around the time that the king may have lived.
Archaeologists say the building may belong to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
Has the real birthplace of King Arthur been found? Archaeologists unearth Dark Age royal palace - just where legends said he was born - and that had already vanished when they were written down
•Legend has it that Arthur was conceived and born in Tintagel, Cornwall
•Building dates to around 6th century, when he is thought to have lived
•After four days of excavation, glimpses of the stone walls were uncovered
•More than 150 fragments of imported pottery and glass also found on site
By Abigail Beall For Mailonline
3 August 2016
A palace has been discovered at Tintagel in Cornwall where King Arthur is believed to have been born.
The palace is believed to have been built in the sixth century - around the time that the king may have lived.
Archaeologists say the building may belong to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
A palace has been discovered at the site King Arthur is believed to have been born at Tintagel in Cornwall. After just four days of excavation, the first glimpses of the stone walls of a palace have been uncovered
Tintangel Castle is popularly thought to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur based on the discovery of a slate engraved with 'Artognou' which was found at the site in 1998.
Geophysical surveys carried out earlier this year found the walls and layers of buildings built between the 5th and 7th centuries.
Now new excavations led by Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) are shedding light on how and when the buildings were constructed and what they were used for.
Researchers believe the 3ft (one-metre) thick walls being unearthed are from a palace belonging to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
'The discovery of high-status buildings – potentially a royal palace complex – at Tintagel is transforming our understanding of the site,' said Win Scutt, an English Heritage properties curator covering the West of England.
'It is helping to reveal an intriguing picture of what life was like in a place of such importance in the historically little-known centuries following the collapse of Roman administration in Britain.'
This is the first time substantial buildings from the heart of the Dark Ages have been found in Britain.
This means what the archaeologists have found is of major historical significance – irrespective of the potential connection to King Arthur.
Geophysical surveys carried out earlier this year found the walls and layers of buried buildings built between the 5th and 7th centuries. New excavations led by Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) are shedding light on how and when the buildings were constructed
Researchers believe the 3 feet (one-metre) thick walls being unearthed are from a palace belonging to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia
More than 150 fragments of pottery and glass which had been imported to the site from exotic locations across the globe showed wealthy people lived there. These include Late-Roman amphorae, fragments of fine glass (left) and a rim of Phocaean red-slip ware (right)
Tintagel castle in Cornwall, location pictured. Geoffrey of Monmouth, a medieval historian, claimed Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur in his book 'Historia Regum Britannae' – a history of British monarchs that some have called unreliable
The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
Arthur was said to have been conceived at Tintagel as a result of an illicit union between a British King and the beautiful wife of a local ruler.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, a medieval historian, claimed Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur in his book 'Historia Regum Britannae' – a history of British monarchs that some have called unreliable.
This book was almost certainly completed by 1138 at a time when the Tintagel promontory, where the new palace has been discovered, was not inhabited.
The medieval castle, that still stands today, was built almost a century later.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s assertion would likely have had to come from now long-lost earlier legends.
'This is the most significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s' said English Heritage's Properties Curator for the West, Win Scutt. 'The three week dig this summer is the first step in a five year research programme to answer some key questions about Tintagel'
Ryan Smith pictured digging the Post Roman Wall. The royals who lived in the newly-discovered castle enjoyed a life of wealth and finery
The royals who lived in the newly-discovered castle enjoyed a life of wealth and finery.
More than 150 fragments of pottery and glass which had been imported to the site from exotic locations across the globe showed wealthy people lived there.
These include Late-Roman amphorae, fragments of fine glass, and a rim of Phocaean red-slip ware - the first shard of fine tableware ever discovered on the south side of the island.
Archaeologists found evidence showing they drank wine from Turkey and olive oil from the Greek Aegean, using cups from France and plates made in North Africa.
'This is the most significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s' said English Heritage's Properties Curator for the West, Win Scutt.
'The three week dig this summer is the first step in a five year research programme to answer some key questions about Tintagel and Cornwall's past.
'We'll be testing the dig sites to plan more advanced excavations next year, getting a much clearer picture of the footprint of early medieval buildings on the island, and gathering samples for analysis.
'It's when these samples are studied in the laboratory that the fun really starts, and we'll begin to unearth Tintagel's secrets.'
TINTAGEL CASTLE: STEEPED IN LEGENDS OF MYTH AND MAGIC
The name Tintagel comes from the Cornish Dintagel, meaning "fort of the constriction", referring to Tintagel Island, which is actually a small peninsula
Tintagel Castle is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island, close to the village of Tintagel in Cornwall, England.
The castle has a long association with the Arthurian legends, going back to the 12th century.
In the Historia Regum Britanniae, a fictional account of British history written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Tintagel is described as the place where Arthur was conceived.
According to the tale, Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, was disguised by Merlin's sorcery to look like Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and the husband of Ygerna, Arthur's mother.
The book was extremely popular and other Arthurian tales were produced in the late medieval period which claimed the king was actually born at Tintagel. Merlin the magician was also said to live below the castle in a cave.
In his Idylls of the King, Lord Alfred Tennyson also refers to the links between Tintagel and Arthur.
Despite these literary connections, no archaeologist has been able to find proof at the site that King Arthur existed or that the castle was linked to the legendary king.
The archaeologist C A Ralegh Radford declared in 1935 that: 'No evidence whatsoever has been found to support the legendary connection of the Castle with King Arthur'.
Many historians believe King Arthur was a completely mythical character, but others disagree, saying he may be based upon a British leader in the fifth century.
In the 13th century, during the later medieval period, a castle was built on the site by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, which later fell into disrepair and ruin.
Archaeologists in the 19th Century took interest in the site as it became a tourist attraction, with visitors coming to see the ruins of Richard's castle.
Excavations in 1998 unearthed pottery from the 5th and 6th centuries at Tintagel Castle.
Today Tintagel Castle is a popular tourist destination managed by English Heritage.
WHO WAS KING ARTHUR?
An illustration of King Arthur is pictured above
The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
What is known is that during his reign as king he had to defend the land against Saxon invaders.
He first appears in historical documents from the early 9th century, but much of what we know of the legendary king comes from the writings of Geoffrey Monmouth, who penned his history of Arthur in the 1100s.
Links with the Holy Grail first appear in French accounts of the king, written circa 1180.
Many historians agree that while the king was a genuine historical figure in early Britain, he could in fact be a composite of multiple people from an age of poor record keeping.
Source: History.co.uk
DID THE LEGENDARY KING ARTHUR REALLY EXIST?
Both the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), state that Arthur was a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th to early 6th century.
The 9th Century Historia Brittonum lists 12 battles that King Arthur fought, including the Battle of Mons Badonicus, where he is said to have killed 960 men - but some scholars have dismissed the reliability of this text.
Tintangel Castle is popularly thought to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur based on the discovery of a slate engraved with 'Artognou' which was found at the site in 1998.
Silchester was the site of King Arthur's coronation and was able to continuously defend itself against the Saxons.
Clive Owen portrayed the legendary leader in the 2004 film, King Arthur, but whether he really existed is still a matter of debate among historians
The Roman name for Silchester was Calleba – similar to the name given to Arthur's sword, Excalibur.
One of Arthur's celebrated battles against the Saxons was fought at Chester or the City of the Legion, as it was known in the Dark Ages.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of battle at nearby Heronbridge, and recent excavations show the amphitheatre was fortified during this period, with a shrine to a Christian martyr at its centre.
This fits a description of Arthur's Round Table, which was said to be a very large structure, seating 1,600 of his warriors.
During the 1960s, excavations by Philip Rahtz showed someone had inhabited the top of Glastonbury Tor during the so-called Arthurian period.
According to the legends, this could have been King Meluas, who abducted Queen Guinevere to his castle at Glastonbury, or Arthur's warrior Gwynn ap Nudd, who was banished from his Palace on the Tor.
In 1191, monks at Glastonbury Abbey found the body of a gigantic man, wounded several times in the head. The bones of his wife and a tress of her golden hair were also in the oak coffin.
Found with the burial was an ancient lead cross, inscribed with 'Here lies buried the famous king Arthur with Guinevere his second wife, in the Isle of Avalon'.
In 1962, archaeological evidence was found supporting the story that a tomb within the ancient church had been disturbed centuries previously.
The whereabouts of the cross and bones are no longer known.
However, Arthur is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or any documents written between 400 and 820 - including Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
Read more: Cornish archaeologists unearth Dark Age royal palace in Tintagel | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
The palace is believed to have been built in the sixth century - around the time that the king may have lived.
Archaeologists say the building may belong to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
Has the real birthplace of King Arthur been found? Archaeologists unearth Dark Age royal palace - just where legends said he was born - and that had already vanished when they were written down
•Legend has it that Arthur was conceived and born in Tintagel, Cornwall
•Building dates to around 6th century, when he is thought to have lived
•After four days of excavation, glimpses of the stone walls were uncovered
•More than 150 fragments of imported pottery and glass also found on site
By Abigail Beall For Mailonline
3 August 2016
A palace has been discovered at Tintagel in Cornwall where King Arthur is believed to have been born.
The palace is believed to have been built in the sixth century - around the time that the king may have lived.
Archaeologists say the building may belong to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
A palace has been discovered at the site King Arthur is believed to have been born at Tintagel in Cornwall. After just four days of excavation, the first glimpses of the stone walls of a palace have been uncovered
Tintangel Castle is popularly thought to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur based on the discovery of a slate engraved with 'Artognou' which was found at the site in 1998.
Geophysical surveys carried out earlier this year found the walls and layers of buildings built between the 5th and 7th centuries.
Now new excavations led by Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) are shedding light on how and when the buildings were constructed and what they were used for.
Researchers believe the 3ft (one-metre) thick walls being unearthed are from a palace belonging to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia.
'The discovery of high-status buildings – potentially a royal palace complex – at Tintagel is transforming our understanding of the site,' said Win Scutt, an English Heritage properties curator covering the West of England.
'It is helping to reveal an intriguing picture of what life was like in a place of such importance in the historically little-known centuries following the collapse of Roman administration in Britain.'
This is the first time substantial buildings from the heart of the Dark Ages have been found in Britain.
This means what the archaeologists have found is of major historical significance – irrespective of the potential connection to King Arthur.
Geophysical surveys carried out earlier this year found the walls and layers of buried buildings built between the 5th and 7th centuries. New excavations led by Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) are shedding light on how and when the buildings were constructed
Researchers believe the 3 feet (one-metre) thick walls being unearthed are from a palace belonging to the rulers of the ancient south-west British kingdom of Dumnonia
More than 150 fragments of pottery and glass which had been imported to the site from exotic locations across the globe showed wealthy people lived there. These include Late-Roman amphorae, fragments of fine glass (left) and a rim of Phocaean red-slip ware (right)
Tintagel castle in Cornwall, location pictured. Geoffrey of Monmouth, a medieval historian, claimed Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur in his book 'Historia Regum Britannae' – a history of British monarchs that some have called unreliable
The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
Arthur was said to have been conceived at Tintagel as a result of an illicit union between a British King and the beautiful wife of a local ruler.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, a medieval historian, claimed Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur in his book 'Historia Regum Britannae' – a history of British monarchs that some have called unreliable.
This book was almost certainly completed by 1138 at a time when the Tintagel promontory, where the new palace has been discovered, was not inhabited.
The medieval castle, that still stands today, was built almost a century later.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s assertion would likely have had to come from now long-lost earlier legends.
'This is the most significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s' said English Heritage's Properties Curator for the West, Win Scutt. 'The three week dig this summer is the first step in a five year research programme to answer some key questions about Tintagel'
Ryan Smith pictured digging the Post Roman Wall. The royals who lived in the newly-discovered castle enjoyed a life of wealth and finery
The royals who lived in the newly-discovered castle enjoyed a life of wealth and finery.
More than 150 fragments of pottery and glass which had been imported to the site from exotic locations across the globe showed wealthy people lived there.
These include Late-Roman amphorae, fragments of fine glass, and a rim of Phocaean red-slip ware - the first shard of fine tableware ever discovered on the south side of the island.
Archaeologists found evidence showing they drank wine from Turkey and olive oil from the Greek Aegean, using cups from France and plates made in North Africa.
'This is the most significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s' said English Heritage's Properties Curator for the West, Win Scutt.
'The three week dig this summer is the first step in a five year research programme to answer some key questions about Tintagel and Cornwall's past.
'We'll be testing the dig sites to plan more advanced excavations next year, getting a much clearer picture of the footprint of early medieval buildings on the island, and gathering samples for analysis.
'It's when these samples are studied in the laboratory that the fun really starts, and we'll begin to unearth Tintagel's secrets.'
TINTAGEL CASTLE: STEEPED IN LEGENDS OF MYTH AND MAGIC
The name Tintagel comes from the Cornish Dintagel, meaning "fort of the constriction", referring to Tintagel Island, which is actually a small peninsula
Tintagel Castle is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island, close to the village of Tintagel in Cornwall, England.
The castle has a long association with the Arthurian legends, going back to the 12th century.
In the Historia Regum Britanniae, a fictional account of British history written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Tintagel is described as the place where Arthur was conceived.
According to the tale, Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, was disguised by Merlin's sorcery to look like Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and the husband of Ygerna, Arthur's mother.
The book was extremely popular and other Arthurian tales were produced in the late medieval period which claimed the king was actually born at Tintagel. Merlin the magician was also said to live below the castle in a cave.
In his Idylls of the King, Lord Alfred Tennyson also refers to the links between Tintagel and Arthur.
Despite these literary connections, no archaeologist has been able to find proof at the site that King Arthur existed or that the castle was linked to the legendary king.
The archaeologist C A Ralegh Radford declared in 1935 that: 'No evidence whatsoever has been found to support the legendary connection of the Castle with King Arthur'.
Many historians believe King Arthur was a completely mythical character, but others disagree, saying he may be based upon a British leader in the fifth century.
In the 13th century, during the later medieval period, a castle was built on the site by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, which later fell into disrepair and ruin.
Archaeologists in the 19th Century took interest in the site as it became a tourist attraction, with visitors coming to see the ruins of Richard's castle.
Excavations in 1998 unearthed pottery from the 5th and 6th centuries at Tintagel Castle.
Today Tintagel Castle is a popular tourist destination managed by English Heritage.
WHO WAS KING ARTHUR?
An illustration of King Arthur is pictured above
The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
What is known is that during his reign as king he had to defend the land against Saxon invaders.
He first appears in historical documents from the early 9th century, but much of what we know of the legendary king comes from the writings of Geoffrey Monmouth, who penned his history of Arthur in the 1100s.
Links with the Holy Grail first appear in French accounts of the king, written circa 1180.
Many historians agree that while the king was a genuine historical figure in early Britain, he could in fact be a composite of multiple people from an age of poor record keeping.
Source: History.co.uk
DID THE LEGENDARY KING ARTHUR REALLY EXIST?
Both the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), state that Arthur was a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th to early 6th century.
The 9th Century Historia Brittonum lists 12 battles that King Arthur fought, including the Battle of Mons Badonicus, where he is said to have killed 960 men - but some scholars have dismissed the reliability of this text.
Tintangel Castle is popularly thought to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur based on the discovery of a slate engraved with 'Artognou' which was found at the site in 1998.
Silchester was the site of King Arthur's coronation and was able to continuously defend itself against the Saxons.
Clive Owen portrayed the legendary leader in the 2004 film, King Arthur, but whether he really existed is still a matter of debate among historians
The Roman name for Silchester was Calleba – similar to the name given to Arthur's sword, Excalibur.
One of Arthur's celebrated battles against the Saxons was fought at Chester or the City of the Legion, as it was known in the Dark Ages.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of battle at nearby Heronbridge, and recent excavations show the amphitheatre was fortified during this period, with a shrine to a Christian martyr at its centre.
This fits a description of Arthur's Round Table, which was said to be a very large structure, seating 1,600 of his warriors.
During the 1960s, excavations by Philip Rahtz showed someone had inhabited the top of Glastonbury Tor during the so-called Arthurian period.
According to the legends, this could have been King Meluas, who abducted Queen Guinevere to his castle at Glastonbury, or Arthur's warrior Gwynn ap Nudd, who was banished from his Palace on the Tor.
In 1191, monks at Glastonbury Abbey found the body of a gigantic man, wounded several times in the head. The bones of his wife and a tress of her golden hair were also in the oak coffin.
Found with the burial was an ancient lead cross, inscribed with 'Here lies buried the famous king Arthur with Guinevere his second wife, in the Isle of Avalon'.
In 1962, archaeological evidence was found supporting the story that a tomb within the ancient church had been disturbed centuries previously.
The whereabouts of the cross and bones are no longer known.
However, Arthur is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or any documents written between 400 and 820 - including Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
Read more: Cornish archaeologists unearth Dark Age royal palace in Tintagel | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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