‘Weird, wonderful’: rare dig at Arthur’s Stone writes new story of neolithic site

The silence is broken high above one of western Britain's loveliest valleys by the sound of gentle digging, scraper and brushing as another ancient feature is revealed or a curious visitor stops by to find out what is going on.

Part of the Arthur's Stone site, a neolithic burial plot with soaring views across the Golden Valley and the Black Mountains of south-eastern Wales, has been granted rare permission to be excavated.

Archaeologists unearthed features, including stone steps leading up to the 5,000-year-old tomb, and tools used by the first people to farm this landscape.

The 25-strong team have launched drones that have pinpointed possible sites of several other ancient burial spots nearby, all of which is leading them to surmise that Arthur's Stone was an important meeting place.

"Arthur's Stone is one of the most wonderful ancient monuments in the care of the nation but it's been very poorly understood." The context of what happened in the very early neolithic is what we are trying to do justice to.

The site has inspired many people over the years. King Arthur is said to have killed a giant on the spot, and the tomb's capstone was said to have been made of the giant's elbow.

The stone table where Aslan is sacrificed in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was inspired by a monument in the 20th century, according to reports.

The true story is that a monument was developed over many decades by the first farmers and last hunter-gatherers. He said it was almost certain that it was connected to Dorstone Hill, where prehistoric halls were burned and incorporated into burial mounds, and a long barrow.

The Skirrid is a mountain in Wales that is said to have been caused by an earthquake or lightning strike at the moment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The professor who is overseeing the dig at the Skirrid said he had been asking people to think about what the Skirrid meant to ancient people. It is a bit wacky, but could it have looked like a mammoth to them and reminded them of the giant creature that used to live here?

The dig has attracted visitors from all over the world. Ben Hughes is a musician based in Wales. It feels like an in-between place, with the more gentle landscape behind and the mountains over there. People have met here for hundreds of years.

Visitors from as far away as Texas have been to the English Heritage site. It feels like the monument is making people feel bad.

Kate Mavor, the chief executive of English Heritage, is going to visit on Friday to see what is happening. She said there were still fresh stories to be found.

She said that they wanted to open up the process of exploring Arthur's Stone to the public. There has been a great response from us.

Win Scutt is a properties Curator at English Heritage. It was rare for permission to be given for this type of exploration. He said it was very delicate to try to answer certain questions.

The English Heritage interpretation board is out of date due to the changes in ideas about what the site was all about. I won't be rushing to change it. Next year will be different, and the year after that will be the same. It's the very exciting thing.