British archaeologists have uncovered the secret of Arthur's Stone
Archaeologists from the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff have established the origin of one of the most famous monuments of the Neolithic era – the Stone of Arthur. It is a massive boulder weighing about 25 tons with a flat surface. It stands on several smaller stones, according to the University of Manchester.
Arthur's Stone is located on a hilltop near the village of Dorston, opposite the Black Mountains in South Wales. Scientists believe it was installed in 3700 BC.
It was believed that the structure was originally built into a wedge-shaped stone pyramid, similar to those found in the Cotswolds and South Wales. But excavations have shown that this is not the case. Since the monument itself is under state protection, research was carried out south of the stone, outside the protected area.
Scientists have discovered that Arthur's Stone is an ancient tomb, which several millennia ago was a long mound of folded turf. It was surrounded by a palisade of vertically placed wooden beams. The mound was oriented towards the top of a nearby hill – its tracks are still visible in aerial photographs.
When the pillars rotted away from time and the embankment collapsed, the builders created an “alley” of larger pillars. She was already leading in the other direction.
Archaeologists concluded that the original construction of the Arthurian Stone was the same as that of the “Halls of the Dead” – Stone Age tombs discovered near the site in 2013. Obviously, in ancient times this area was a system of megalithic structures connected with each other.
Note that many historical and natural sites are named after King Arthur. So, in Scotland there is a mountain called the Throne of Arthur. Recently, 3000-year-old ruins were discovered there.
