11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

‘Mystery and Unfathomable’ King Arthur’s Hall is 4,000 Years Older Than Previously Thought

A mysterious monument in Cornwall has been discovered to be 5,000 years old—4,000 years older than previously thought. The rectangular bank of earth and stone known as King Arthur’s Hall is located in a remote area of Bodmin Moor.

Researchers previously believed King Arthur’s Hall on Bodmin Moor to have been built in the Middle Ages, but excavations have shown that it was built some 4,000 years earlier.

Historic England has designated the site as “at risk” due to the growth of vegetation surrounding it. It contains 56 standing stones that are partially buried, leaning, or on the ground. It is as old as Stonehenge, having been built for the first time between 5,000 and 5,500 years ago during the Middle Neolithic Period, according to archaeologists.

According to experts, nothing like it exists in Britain or elsewhere, so the original purpose of the monument known as King Arthur’s Hall remains unknown.

Phil McMahon, inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England, said: “The news that King Arthur’s Hall is Neolithic in origin is exciting and adds significant time depth to this enigmatic site, which has few parallels in England.”

An excavation was carried out at the site as part of Cornwall National Landscape’s “A Monumental Improvement” project. It commissioned the Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) to carry out archaeological investigations to determine its age, use, and longer-term conservation needs.

Although the site is listed by Historic England as a Medieval animal pound, experts have speculated that the monument may actually be prehistoric due to its standing stones, north-south orientation, and location in an area of Bodmin Moor that is home to numerous other early sites.

Historic England has designated the site as "at risk" due to the growth of vegetation surrounding it. It contains 56 standing stones that are partially buried, leaning, or on the ground. Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Historic England has designated the site as “at risk” due to the growth of vegetation surrounding it. It contains 56 standing stones that are partially buried, leaning, or on the ground. Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Volunteers from the area assisted with the excavation. Specialist teams from the Universities of Reading, St Andrews, and Newcastle conducted the dating for the excavation by analyzing material from a section excavated through the bank and into soils buried beneath it.

Dating from their Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) analysis indicates the structure was constructed in the later fourth millennium BC (Neolithic Period).

Additionally, samples were collected from the monument’s interior to confirm the existence of fossilized plant and animal remains, including seeds, pollen, insects, and parasite eggs. The monument’s infilling started in the Later Prehistoric (2,000–2,500 years ago) and Medieval (500–1000 years ago) periods, according to radiocarbon dating, for monument activities that impacted the marshy interior of the enclosure.

According to experts, these uses—which may have included serving as a pound and subsequently as a reservoir for tin stream working—were most likely very different from what the enclosure’s original builders had in mind thousands of years ago.

Geological examination of the standing stones suggested they came “from within 250m (820 feet) of the site and were possibly dug out from the interior rather than from a distant tor. But while rectangular monuments do exist – and possible uses may have included gatherings of local communities for ceremonies and rituals – there is still uncertainty about the original purpose of the site.

King Arthur's Hall is on Bodmin Moor Cornwall, UK. It contains 56 standing stones partially buried, leaning, or on the ground. Photo: Wikipedia Commons
King Arthur’s Hall is on Bodmin Moor Cornwall, UK. It contains 56 standing stones partially buried, leaning, or on the ground. Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Pete Herring, president of the Cornwall Archaeological Society, said: “The romantic-sounding 16th-century name King Arthur’s Hall tells us that here is a place regarded by the moorland community as something ancient and unfathomable, like other sites attributed to Arthur. Science has responded to that name’s challenge, providing a very early date of origin, and two other dates, later prehistoric and medieval, when there was activity at the enclosure.

“The monument retains its mystery: there are no Neolithic parallels for a stone-lined sunken and embanked rectangular enclosure, possibly watery. We may presume it was a sacred site, a place for gatherings, for rituals or ceremonies, but perhaps Neolithic people made and used it for very different purposes.

A management plan for the site is being developed in partnership with Historic England, Natural England, the landowner, and the Hamatethy Commoners.  The excavation and the scientific analyses were made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Cornwall Council, and Cornwall Heritage Trust.

Cover Image Credit: Cornwall National Landscape

Related Articles

Ancient Murals of Two-faced Figures Found in Peru

21 March 2023

21 March 2023

Archaeologists are reporting a number of fascinating discoveries as work on the excavations at Pañamarca progresses that are helping to...

A Rare Roman-Era Bronze Filter Discovered in Hadrianopolis, Türkiye

11 February 2025

11 February 2025

Archaeologists excavating at Hadrianopolis in Karabük, Türkiye, have unearthed a 5th-century AD bronze filter used in Roman and Byzantine times...

1.8-million-year-old ‘human tooth’ discovered in Georgia

9 September 2022

9 September 2022

An ancient human tooth discovered by archaeologists in Georgia dates back 1.8 million years, firmly establishing the area as the...

Egypt discovers five 4,000-year-old ancient tombs in Saqqara necropolis

19 March 2022

19 March 2022

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced recently the discovery of five 4,000-year-old ancient tombs in the Saqqara archaeological...

The human remains dating back 10,000 years unearthed in Vietnam

15 November 2023

15 November 2023

In Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, skeletal remains dating back 10,000 years have been discovered. This is marking the oldest...

A Newly Found 12,000-year-old Burial in Türkiye May Belong to a Female ‘Shaman’

28 July 2024

28 July 2024

A recently published study suggests that a woman buried in the upper reaches of the Tigris River in south-eastern Türkiye...

Researchers discovered clay tablets with ancient cuneiform writing, a game board, and large structural remains in Kurd Qaburstan

16 January 2025

16 January 2025

Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida (UCF), and a researchers team have made important...

2,700-year-old Unique Rock Tombs Disappear

18 July 2023

18 July 2023

The 2,700-year-old rock tombs, unique in Turkey, in the Taşköprü district of Kastamonu are in danger of extinction due to...

Experts believe the 7,000-year-old circular stone structures were once houses, complete with doorways and roofs in Saudi Arabia

16 July 2024

16 July 2024

Archaeologists have excavated eight ancient “standing stone circles” in Saudi Arabia that they say were used as houses. Eight of...

An Unusual Artifact Points to Roman Britain Rituals Linked to Fertility, Painted Dog Penis Bone Found in England

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

In a Roman quarry shaft in Surrey, England, archaeologists have discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains...

7500-year-old idol of Goddess Asherah located in Israel

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Israel have discovered an idol they believe belongs to the goddess Ashera at a...

14,000-year-old settlement discovered in western Turkey

26 November 2021

26 November 2021

During the rescue excavation carried out in a cave in Dikili, İzmir, in western Turkey, 14 thousand-year-old stone tools and...

1800 Years Old Roman Milestone Used as Seat at Turkish Mosque

7 November 2024

7 November 2024

A milestone from the Roman Emperor Gordianus III period, which dates to 239 AD, was discovered in the Fatsa district...

A cemetery belonging to 54 children was found during the excavation in the old quarry in Diyarbakır, Türkiye

4 January 2024

4 January 2024

During the archaeological excavation carried out in the area considered to be an old quarry in the Kulp district of...

Over 70 Archaeological Sites Identified in Canada’s Chilcotin Region, Uncovering Secwépemc Pit Houses Over 4,000 Years Old

29 March 2025

29 March 2025

Recent archaeological findings indicate that the Secwépemc people’s historical presence in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, Canada, is more...