Tintagel Castle exists, but the ruins date to the Middle Ages. However, when archaeologists started digging, they found that a much older building had once stood there, one that was not so solidly built. Based on the pieces of pottery they found, the earlier building was dated at somewhere between the 5th and 6th centuries. There is no place called Camelot. However, a Tudor antique collector, writing in 1542 about Cadbury Castle in Somerset, southern England, said the locals believed this was Arthur's Camelot. There never was a castle there, but archaeologists have found the remains of a hill fort dating to sometime between 400 and 1000 AD.
About ten miles (6 km) from Cadbury Castle is a lone hill, Glastonbury Tor, rising almost 500 feet (150 m) above the flat countryside. Topped by a tower--the remains of a 14th century church--the local landmark can be seen for miles around. Excavations showed there was a settlement there, dating to the time after the Roman occupation. The town of Glastonbury lies close by, similarly on high ground. During medieval times, the surrounding flat lands were under water, making Glastonbury and the Tor an island, connected to the rest of the land by a narrow ridge. Ever since the Middle Ages there have been stories that Arthur's remains were buried at Glastonbury Abbey, so it was easy to think that Glastonbury and the Tor were the fabled Isle of Avalon. We'll probably never know whether King Arthur is fact or fiction. But when Abacus takes you back to the Dark Ages, you'll be able to see for yourself how legends are made.
About ten miles (6 km) from Cadbury Castle is a lone hill, Glastonbury Tor, rising almost 500 feet (150 m) above the flat countryside. Topped by a tower--the remains of a 14th century church--the local landmark can be seen for miles around. Excavations showed there was a settlement there, dating to the time after the Roman occupation. The town of Glastonbury lies close by, similarly on high ground. During medieval times, the surrounding flat lands were under water, making Glastonbury and the Tor an island, connected to the rest of the land by a narrow ridge. Ever since the Middle Ages there have been stories that Arthur's remains were buried at Glastonbury Abbey, so it was easy to think that Glastonbury and the Tor were the fabled Isle of Avalon. We'll probably never know whether King Arthur is fact or fiction. But when Abacus takes you back to the Dark Ages, you'll be able to see for yourself how legends are made.
King Arthur (continued)
