Credit: University of ManchesterThe origins of Arthur's Stone are being discovered by archaeologists at Cardiff and Manchester Universities. It is one of the most iconic Stone Age monuments in the UK.Manchester's Professor Julian Thomas led the excavation. He said that the Herefordshire-based tomb was linked to the nearby "halls of the Dead", which were discovered in 2013.This is the first time that the construction which inspired the "stone table" in C.S. The proper excavations of Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe have been completed.Arthur's Stone dates back to the Neolithic period of 3700BC. It is situated on a lonely hilltop just outside the village of Dorstone facing the Black Mountains of south Wales.It was assumed that the capstone, which was supported by a number of stones and a lesser chamber with a right-angled passage, had been placed within a wedge-shaped stone-cairn. This is similar to the ones found in South Wales and Cotswolds. Professor Thomas and Prof Keith Ray from Cardiff showed that the monument extended to the south of its tomb.English Heritage is responsible for Arthur's Stone, a designated monument. Excavations took place in an area south of the burial chamber and outside the area of guardianship.The tomb was originally a mound of stacked turf. It was then retained by a palisade consisting of upright posts that were placed in a narrow circle around the mound. After the posts began to rot and the mound collapsed, a new avenue of larger posts was created, which led to the mound from the Golden Valley below."Although Arthur's Stone has been a megalithic monument of global significance, it was not known where its origins were until now. Thomas says that it is thrilling to be able to shed light on the amazing tomb, which dates back 5700 years.The first mound is identifiable by the palisade slot, and the parch marks visible from the air around the stone chambers. It points towards the hilltop at Dorstone Hill.The later avenue of posts and the two stone chambers and the upright stone are located directly in front of them. They can be seen at the far horizon, between Skirrid Hill and Garway Hill to south-east.Professor Thomas said that the different orientations of each phase of construction were significant because of our excavations at Dorstone Hill in 2011-19 which revealed three mounds with similar construction to the one now believed to be the first stage Arthur's Stone.""Each of the three turf mounds was built on top of an old timber building that had been intentionally burned down. Arthur's Stone is now linked to these nearby 'halls for the dead' that made headlines in 2013."Indeed the block of land between the Wye Valley and the Golden Valley is now being revealed as housing an integrated Neolithic ceremonial environment."The excavations at Arthur's Stone are part of the Beneath Hay Bluff Project. It has been studying prehistoric southwest Herefordshire from 2010 to 2010, under the direction of Keith Ray and Julian Thomas. Associate directors Nick Overton and Tim Hoverd (Herefordshire Council) also assisted.
