Marlborough Mound: 'Merlin's burial place' built in 2400 BC

[Blackleaf]

A mound which is supposed to be the burial place of legendary wizard Merlin has been found to date to 2400BC.

Radiocarbon dating tests were carried out on charcoal samples taken from Marlborough Mound, which lies in Marlborough College's grounds, in Wiltshire.

Some believed that the mound, which is 62ft high, was much younger, dating back to 600AD.

Marlborough Mound: 'Merlin's burial place' built in 2400 BC

Marlborough Mound had previously baffled historians

31 May 2011
BBC News


A Wiltshire mound where the legendary wizard Merlin was purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC.

Radiocarbon dating tests were carried out on charcoal samples taken from Marlborough Mound, which lies in Marlborough College's grounds.

The 19m (62ft) high mound had previously mystified historians. Some believed it dated back to about 600 AD.

English Heritage said: "This is a very exciting time for British prehistory."

Dig leader Jim Leary said: "This is an astonishing discovery.

"The Marlborough Mound has been one of the biggest mysteries in the Wessex landscape.

"For centuries people have wondered whether it is Silbury's little sister; and now we have an answer. "

'Dramatic history'

Silbury Hill, an artificial man-made mound about five miles away, also dates back to 2,400 BC.

Marlborough Mound was reused as a castle and became an important fortress for the Norman and Plantagenet kings.

It was also the scene for major political events, such as the general oath of allegiance sworn to King John in 1209.

Nicholas Sampson, Master of Marlborough College, said: "We are thrilled at this discovery, which confirms the long and dramatic history of this beautiful site and offers opportunity for tremendous educational enrichment."

The work is part of a major conservation programme being undertaken by the Marlborough Mound Trust.

BBC News - Marlborough Mound: 'Merlin's burial place' built in 2400 BC

 

[petros]

Mound? I thought it was Knights of the Round Table?

 

[amesburyarcher]

As the archaeologists said, an exciting time in British prehistory. The Marlborough mound is probably the second largest neolithic mound in Britain, after the enormous Silbury which is just down the road and is the biggest in Europe-an earth pyramid that dominates the landscape and stand by the impressive chambered barrow of west Kenneth and the triple stone circle of Avebury. For a long time it was thought the Marlborough mound was a 'castle hill' but by its shape (and lack of period documents) I was always leaning towards the neolithic.
This whole area bristles with te prehistoric--of course Stonehenge and its ritual landscape is only 20 mi away, with the big superhenge of Marden in the middle (no stones ands very plowed out but massive--and they've found remains of a huge collapse mound in thde centre, plus evidence of feasting and possibly a sweat-lodge.) Nr Stonehenge itself they've recently unearthed a massive village, inhabited only a certain periods of the year, with more evidence of giant feasts. In the same area they've also found a 'missing' stone circle at the end of the Stonehenge avenue, and a few hundred yards away, a mesolithic site (a spring) with thousands of flint tools and auroch bones, which would have seemed to have developed into a ritual pool by the middle bronze age at latest--archaeologists found a one of a kind dagger bronze age deposited in it.

 

[gopher]

A Wiltshire mound where the legendary wizard Merlin was purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC.

I have previously read that Merlin lived in the 5th century. Perhaps it was used as a burial mound before his time.