Arthur’s Stone

Prehistoric archaeology and the attempt to envision the world of that era is something I know very little about, and I am inclined to leave it to others as a topic. I make exceptions for sites such as Avebury and Stonehenge, and their ritual landscapes partly because of their obvious importance and partly because they have a place in myth and legend in later centuries. In historic time they played a not insignificant part in shaping local identities and  understanding of the past, be it ne’er so mysterious.

An example of this type is highlighted by the recently published work on Arthur’s Stone on the ridge between the Wye Valley and the Golden Valley in Herefordshire. 

The stones once formed part of a burial mound but appear to have acquired ritual significance and a new status as objects in the landscape long before recorded history. 

In the last two millennia they have served as a place of wonder with their association with King Arthur and, as the Wikipedia history of the site recounts at Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire, a significance as the place for a fifteenth century duel or a seventeenth century royal dinner as well as a place of folkloric resort, and a possible inspiration for C.S.Lewis.

The conclusions of the recent study of the evolution of the monument are described on Live Science at Ancient monument linked to King Arthur is older than Stonehenge, research finds

A drawing reconstructing the burial mound can be seen on the Historic England site at Arthur's Stone, Dorstone, Herefordshire 

There is another Arthur’s Stone, again rich in legend, on the Gower peninsula, which is described at Maen Ceti (Arthur's Stone)