The Excavation of Tintagel
Does Archaeology Prove that Tintagel was Linked to King Arthur?
Apr 12, 2009
Situated on the North Cornish coast, Tintagel Island is a rocky headland separated from the mainland by a slender bridge of land. It is one of the most visited archaeological sites in the UK, famed as the place where the legendary King Arthur was conceived.
Archaeology has not always supported the legend. All that visibly remains of Tintagel's past is the remains of the castle built in the 13th century by Richard, Duke of Cornwall. Excavations in the early 20th century suggested that the site may in fact have been a Dark Age monastery with trade links to the Mediterranean. A recent excavation project headed by a team from Glasgow University in the 1990s has however suggested that Tintagel’s mythical past may have roots in reality after all.
The Occupation of Tintagel
The excavations in the 1990s prove that the headland was occupied long before the 13th century castle was built. Tintagel was occupied from around the time of the Roman abandonment of Britain into the early dark ages.
Using pottery and charcoal for dating, three separate phases were identified:
- 395-460AD. Dating to the last years of the Roman occupation, this phase included only Romano British pottery. Structures from this period were simple with hearths and floors preserved
- 415-535AD. A Period marked by mixed Romano British and Imported pottery
- 560-670AD. Period of the best preserved structures and imported pottery. Large stone structures in evidence as well as simple turf buildings.
This suggests the site was important during the last years of the Roman occupation but instead of declining its importance grew. By the Dark Ages, archaeologists estimate the headland was filled with a complex array of buildings.
Tintagel as a Dark Age Fortress
The Glasgow team also excavated the great ditch that was once taken to be part of the 13th century castles’ defenses. The Glasgow team showed it was in fact a Dark Age defensive structure. Originally a natural valley, it was excavated until it was 4m deep and measured 9m wide at the top and 4m at the bottom.
The ditch enclosed 1 hectare of the mainland past the land bridge as well as the 11 hectares of the island, densely packed with buildings. This made Tintagel the largest defended promontory in the UK.
Tintagel and the Mediterranean Trade
Pottery and glassware suggest that Dark Age Tintagel was a high status site where the goods from the Mediterranean were used rather than a simple trading post.
Out of the pottery found relating to the 5-7th Centuries AD, 1821 pot shards were from imported pottery compared to only 21 from Romano British ware. Some of these imported remains were of amphorae from Greece, turkey and North Africa that would have held wine or olive oil. Others were of high status tableware such as Phoenician red slipped wear and African red slipped wear as well as at least 19 imported pieces of glassware.
The Arthur Inscription
In 1998 a piece of inscribed slate was found that was taken as evidence for links between King Arthur and Tintagel. After study by Charles Thomas, it certainly points to the importance of the site in the Dark Ages to a Romano British elite who were attempting to maintain a link to the empire and their own perceived Romano British heritage.
There were in fact two inscriptions on one piece of slate, dating to different periods. The first referring to the emperor Honorius, dates to 395-423 AD and backs the evidence of the earliest pottery that there was a Roman presence on the island just before the withdrawal from Britain.
The second inscription dating to the 6th century AD includes the name ‘Artognau’. It is contemporary with the last phase of building activity and the construction of the ditch. This, evidence, taken with the presence of luxury goods suggest that the site continued to be used after the retreat of the Romans by British chieftains who wished to uphold a Roman lifestyle and associate themselves with their Roman past. One of those chieftains may or may not have been the inspiration for the legendary King.
Sources:
Excavations at Tintagel Castle, Cornwall 1990-1999 (2007). Rachel C Barrowman, Colleen E Batey and Christopher Morris. Oxbow Books.
