15 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists have discovered the origins a Herefordshire Stone Age monument

Archaeologists have finally uncovered the mysterious origins of Arthur’s Stone, named after the mysterious legends of King Arthur, who inspired the ‘stone table’ in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Archaeologists from the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff have identified the origins of Arthur’s Stone, one of the most well-known Stone Age monuments in the United Kingdom.

Professor Julian Thomas of Manchester, who supervised the dig, said the majestic Herefordshire tomb is related to adjacent 6,000-year-old ‘halls of the dead’ found by a team led by Professor Thomas in 2013.

This is the first time Arthur’s Stone, which dates back to 3,700BC and is located on a mountaintop outside the village of Dorstone, has been properly excavated.

Archaeologists thought that its large capstone, erected on a series of supporting stones, and smaller chamber with a right-angled passage were stood within of a wedge-shaped stone cave, similar to those seen in the Cotswolds and South Wales.

However, Professor Thomas and Prof Keith Ray of Cardiff University demonstrated that the monument originally stretched into a field directly to the south of the grave.

An excavation by the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff (pictured) has revealed that Arthur's Stone was once part of a much larger ceremonial landscape than previously thought
An excavation by the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff (pictured) has revealed that Arthur’s Stone was once part of a much larger ceremonial landscape than previously thought. Photo:The University of Manchester

Archeologists found that the tomb was once a large mound of piled turf held together by a fence of upright posts arranged in a narrow wall encircling the mound.

This long mound extended onto an adjacent field before collapsing due to decay. After then, the mound was reconstructed in a slightly altered orientation.

Professors Julian Thomas of Manchester University and Keith Ray of Cardiff University believe the first mound faced Dorstone Hill, while the second pointed to a location to the southeast between Skirrid Hill and Garway Hill.

“Although Arthur’s Stone is an iconic Megalithic monument of international importance, its origins had been unclear until now. Being able to shine a light on this astonishing 5700-year-old tomb is exciting, and helps to tell the story of our origins” Professor Julian Thomas said.

The University of Manchester

Related Articles

The Half of the Rare Oil Lamp Found in Jerusalem May be in Budapest

9 May 2021

9 May 2021

We had recently reported on a grotesque lamp found in Jerusalem. The other half of the oil lamp, which is...

DNA from 20,000-year-old deer-tooth pendant reveals woman who wore it

4 May 2023

4 May 2023

A pendant made of a deer tooth that was exposed to DNA about 20,000 years ago has yielded clues about...

4,000-Year-Old Seal Found at Tavşanlı Mound in Western Türkiye

17 August 2024

17 August 2024

4,000-year-old seal were found at the Tavşanlı Mound (or Tavşanlı Höyük) in Türkiye’s Kütahya province—located in the west of the...

Underwater excavations start at 1,700-year-old ancient Black Sea port Kerpe

20 September 2021

20 September 2021

The traces of the ancient harbor on the Black Sea coast of Kerpe, in Kocaeli’s Kandıra district, are being brought...

Archaeologist Reconstructs 2,000-Year-Old Roman Frescoes from Thousands of Fragments in ‘World’s Toughest Jigsaw’

19 June 2025

19 June 2025

What started as a pile of broken plaster fragments has become one of the most remarkable reconstruction projects in British...

8,200-year-old lacquerware found in China

9 July 2021

9 July 2021

Archaeologists in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province have identified two items of lacquerware at the Jingtoushan ruins, the oldest ever found...

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists identify unknown sites and Serbia’s hidden Bronze Age megastructures

17 November 2023

17 November 2023

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists at University College Dublin identified more than 100 previously unknown sites. Satellite remote...

A Chapel was Found Under the Madonna Tal-Hniena Church in Qrendi, Malta

21 May 2021

21 May 2021

Underneath the Madonna Tal-Hniena church in the village of Qrendi in the south of Malta, the remains of an ancient...

Recent Excavations in Spain Reveal 7th Century BCE Religious Structure, Showcasing Eastern Influences within Tartessian Culture

18 February 2025

18 February 2025

A research team led by the National University of Distance Education (UNED) has made an important archaeological discovery at the...

Trier University’s Digital Coin Cabinet is Now Accessible

19 February 2024

19 February 2024

Historical coins are much more than just pieces of jewelry for collections and exhibitions and are of particular interest for...

Archaeologists discovered how wine was cooled in Roman legions on the Danube

15 September 2023

15 September 2023

Lead archaeologist Piotr Dyczek, a professor at the Center for Research on Antiquities of Southeastern Europe at the University of...

Mysterious Mongolian Arc in Eastern Mongolia Studied for the First Time

30 December 2023

30 December 2023

Researchers have studied the 405-km wall system in eastern Mongolia known as the Mongolian Arc to learn more about its...

Archaeologists Discover Clay Figurines from Early Iron Age in Ukraine

17 December 2024

17 December 2024

Archaeologists have discovered clay figurines of young bulls from the Early Iron Age near the Metropolitan Chambers in the village...

A Little-Known Civilization in the Americas Built Pyramids as Old as Ancient Egypt

26 June 2022

26 June 2022

Considered the cradle of civilization in the Americas, the Sacred City of Caral-Supe is a 5000-year-old archaeological site, situated on...

The place of Puduhepa’s hometown Lawazantiya will be illuminated with Tatarlı Höyük

9 November 2021

9 November 2021

Excavations at Tatarlı Höyük (mound) are trying to reach findings that will enable the determination of the location of Lawazantiya,...