Digging work begins at 5,000-year-old tomb linked to King Arthur
DIGGING work has begun at a 5,000-year-old tomb linked to King Arthur.
Experts hope to shed new light on mysteries surrounding the legendary leader, said to have slain a giant there.
The prehistoric monument — Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire — has never been excavated before.
English Heritage say other sites in the same region have contained several skeletal remains.
The tomb is formed of nine stones, topped by one weighing 25 tons.
Legend has it that Arthur slew a giant who left impressions of his elbows on one of the slabs as he fell.
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It is also thought to have inspired the stone table on which Aslan is sacrificed in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Archaeologists from the University of Manchester have started removing turf at the site overlooking the Wye Valley and observers are invited — if they book in advance.
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Ginny Slade of English Heritage said: “Arthur’s Stone is one of the country’s most significant Stone Age monuments. This gives a rare and exciting chance for the public to see archaeology in action.”
Arthur is thought to have fought off 5th Century Saxon invaders.