Bodmin Moor is a large area of moorland located in Cornwall, a region in the south-west of England. With its rolling hills, and granite rocks, it is one of the oldest and mystical landscapes of the place. Famous for its legends and rugged beauty, this wasteland covers approximately 208 square kilometers and is home to several ancient archaeological sites, including mounds and circles of hundreds and thousands of years.
Among them stands out what is known as King Arthur’s Hall, a stone monument that for centuries has been a enigma for historians and archaeologists. Until recently, this mysterious site, made up of 56 stones arranged in a large rectangle, was thought to date back to medieval times. However, recent research has revealed a surprising secret: that the set of stones is actually 4,000 years older than was believed, from the Neolithic period, approximately the same time as the famous Stonehenge.
This discovery, part of Cornwall National Landscape’s ‘A Monumental Improvement’ project, was led by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU), whose team took soil samples and applied advanced dating techniques. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence testing revealed that King Arthur’s Hall began to glow. built between 5,500 and 5,000 years ago.
To confirm this unsuspected antiquity, sediments containing pollen, insects and parasite eggs sealed in time were analyzed. James Gossip, CAU archaeologist, said that this new information “will help better understand the original function of this unique monument, how it could have been used and how it was used over time.
The site has been a source of legends and speculationsand its directly evokes the figure of King Arthur. Pete Herring, president of the Cornwall Archaeological Society, explains that this name, coined in the 16th century, “shows us that the community already considered this place as something ancient and unfathomable, as full of mystery as the stories of King Arthur.” Now, thanks to science, hints of later activities were revealed as well, such as a intensive use in late prehistory and also in the Middle Ages, when the site may have served as corral or even as water tank for tin mining.
sacred space
Despite this new information, the original purpose of King Arthur’s Hall remains an enigma. His rectangular layout is extremely unusual for the Neolithic in Britain, and experts suggest that perhaps it was conceived as a sacred space, a place to community ceremonies or ritualsalthough later, in the Middle Ages, it seems to have been reused for more practical purposes. What has been determined is that the stones were extracted from nearby areas, about 250 meters from where it is located.
Phil McMahon, inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England, argues that “the news that King Arthur’s Hall is of Neolithic origin adds significant temporal depth to this enigmatic site.” And the surprise of this discovery also lies in the rarity of the placesince no similar Neolithic structures are known throughout the United Kingdom, a fact that reinforces its unique character.
The recent interest in protecting and studying this site has motivated the creation of a conservation plan in collaboration with Historic England and Natural England, public organizations in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection and management of historic sites and the natural environment respectively, as well as the landowner and the inhabitants of the region, known as “Hamatethy Commoners” , that is, the group of people who have historical rights over the common lands of Hamatethy, this area located within Bodmin Moor.
Designated in “risk” status Due to the growth of vegetation that threatens to hide it, the project receives funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other entities, in a joint effort to preserve this treasure of antiquity.
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