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A seventh-century slate window ledge inscribed with an intriguing mix of Latin, Greek and Celtic words, names and symbols has been unearthed at Tintagel Castle in north Cornwall. The discovery adds weight to the view that the rugged coastal site, which is most often associated with the legend of King Arthur, was home in the early middle ages to a sophisticated and multicultural port community. Put together with other finds including Iberian goblets and bowls from what is now Turkey, the slate ledge suggests Tintagel may well have been an important royal base with trade links stretching from Europe’s Atlantic...

A small piece of slate was discovered during excavations on Tintagel Island inscribed with the name "Artognov". Is this the first real proof of King Arthur's existence? Was he really born at Tintagel as legend insists? On 6th August 1998, English Heritage revealed that during the last week of digging on the Eastern terraces of Tintagel Island, a broken piece of Cornish slate (8" by 14") was discovered bearing the name "Artognov". It was excavated on July 4th, by Kevin Brady, an archaeologist working with a team from Glasgow University. "As the stone came out, when I saw the letters...

Author Adam Ardrey claims that instead of the romantic English king of legend who lived at Camelot – which is often said to be Tintagel in Cornwall or in Wales – Arthur was actually Arthur Mac Aedan, the sixth-century son of an ancient King of Scotland, whose Camelot was a marsh in Argyll. He also suggests that Arthur pulled the sword Excalibur from a stone at Dunadd near Kilmartin, died near Falkirk and was buried on the Hebridean island of Iona, which he declares to be Avalon. Ardrey, an amateur historian who works as an advocate in Edinburgh and previously...

The chestnut trees of Europe tell a hidden story charting the fortunes of ancient Rome and the legacy it left in the continent's forests. The ancient Romans left an indelible imprint on the world they enveloped into their empire. The straight, long-distance roads they built can still be followed beneath the asphalt of some modern highways. They spread aqueducts, sewers, public baths and the Latin language across much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. But what's perhaps less well known is the surprising way they transformed Europe's forests. ... Romans had something of a penchant for sweet chestnut...

A manuscript once considered an unofficial copy of the Magna Carta is now believed to be a genuine version and ''one of the world's most valuable documents'', according to UK academics. Harvard Law School paid $27.50 (then about £7) for it in 1946 and for years it has remained tucked away in its library, its true identity unknown. But two medieval history professors have concluded it is an extraordinarily rare and lost original Magna Carta from 1300, in the reign of King Edward I, that could be worth millions. ''This is a fantastic discovery," said Prof David Carpenter from King's...

Metal detectorists in southwest England have discovered an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet raven’s head. It dates to the 7th century and is intricately decorated with an inlaid garnet eye surrounded by a white enamel circle, individual feathers outlined in filigree and inlaid with garnets on a waffle-pattern foil backing, a technique found on many Anglo-Saxon objects. The raven was discovered by Chris Phillips at a rally this January with the group Ninth Region Metal Detecting Group. Another member of the group, Paul Gould, first discovered a flattened gold band inlaid with triangular garnets set in filigree outlines. Then Phillips...

The most recent papal conclave was quick, efficient, and free of political intrigue. Historically, this has not always been the case... Chapters 0:00 Introduction 0:33 Election of 366 1:54 Election of 1292-4 3:48 Election of 1549-50 6:15 Other complicationsHow to NOT elect a pope | 8:00 toldinstone | 574K subscribers | 21,004 views | May 9, 2025

Before the Black Death of 1348 the language of power in England was Anglo-Norman French. The plague changed everything. 00:00 A catastrophic plague 00:57 The eve of destruction 08:16 The end of the world 10:59 The aftermath 16:18 Turning back the clocks 20:53 Revolution in the air 24:11 English is back How the Black Death Saved the English Language | 27:24 LetThemTalkTV | 611K subscribers | 10,809 views | May 8, 2025

Variations on the classic Merlin and King Arthur legends span hundreds, if not thousands, of retellings. Many are documented within handwritten medieval manuscripts dating back over a millenia—but some editions are far rarer than others. For example, less than 40 copies are known to exist of a once-popular sequel series, the Suite Vulgate du Merlin. In 2019, researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered fragments of one more copy in their collections, tucked inside the recycled binding of a wealthy family's property record from the 16th century. But at the time of discovery, the text was impossible to read.Now after...

Recent discoveries from a treasure hoard unearthed in Thetford Forest, East Anglia, reveal compelling evidence that the region remained pagan until the 5th century CE, a significant extension beyond the previously established timeline of the late 4th century (380-390s CE).This finding not only reshapes our understanding of Thetford's religious landscape but also highlights the enduring cultural practices that persisted well into the post-Roman era.Recent research has re-evaluated the timeline of the Thetford hoard, suggesting that this significant treasure was buried in the 5th century CE, specifically during the 420s to 440s, which marks a notable shift from the previously accepted...

A medieval cemetery unearthed near an airport in the UK has continued to raise questions for archaeologists, as the mystery surrounding it has multiplied.The discovery of the site at Cardiff Airport dates to the 6th or 7th Century and was announced last year.Dozens of skeletons were found lying in unusual positions with unexpected artefacts and now researchers have learned nearly all of those buried in the cemetery are women.While their bones have shown signs of wear and tear, there are also surprising signs of wealth and luxury. Mystery of medieval cemetery near UK airport runway deepens | 4:20 BBC News...

According to an Islam tradition, Muslim martyrs will go to paradise and marry 72 black-eyed virgins. But some Koran scholars point to a less sexy paradise. While beautifully written, Islamic texts are often obscure. The Arabic language was born as a written language with the Koran, and growing evidence suggests that many of the words were Syriac or Aramaic. Specifically, the Koran says martyrs going to heaven will get “hur,” and the word was taken by early commentators to mean “virgins,” hence those 72 concubines. But in Aramaic, hur actually meant “white” and was commonly used to specifically mean “white...

Donovan Barnes, a first year student at Georgetown University, recently published a “viewpoint” article in the school’s student newspaper titled “Develop Gender-Neutral Language in Arabic.” Barnes’ March 25 op-ed in The Hoya expresses the opinion that “to aid the fight for gender inclusivity in the Arabic language, Georgetown students and instructors have the responsibility to work toward language that includes all gender identities, not just identities within the cisnormative male and female binary.” The student explained that he is studying Arabic at Georgetown and had “valid concerns” coming into the program because he is learning a language that is “radically...

To Muslims the Koran is the very word of God, who spoke through the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad: "This book is not to be doubted," the Koran declares unequivocally at its beginning. Scholars and writers in Islamic countries who have ignored that warning have sometimes found themselves the target of death threats and violence, sending a chill through universities around the world. Yet despite the fear, a handful of experts have been quietly investigating the origins of the Koran, offering radically new theories about the text's meaning and the rise of Islam. Christoph Luxenberg, a scholar of ancient Semitic languages ...

Underwater excavations near Kaş, Antalya, on Turkey's southwestern coast, have yielded fascinating insights into ancient Mediterranean seafaring and trade. A team led by Associate Professor Dr. Hakan Öniz from Akdeniz University has been exploring a shipwreck dating back 1,100 years, during the Abbasid rule in the 9th-10th centuries. The discoveries highlight the crucial role of olives for sailors and have unearthed a rare sealed amphora, sparking excitement among archaeologists...The shipwreck, located at a depth of 45-50 meters near Besmi Island, was found to be carrying a cargo of olive oil. According to historical accounts and the typology of amphorae discovered,...

  Background Information   I first came across the subject matter of Rennes-le-Château in 1979, after watching one of Henry Lincoln’s documentaries. It was also during the late 1970s that I developed an interest in researching Christian origins, which touched upon matters like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi Texts and the Gnostics, the latter sect being similar to the mediaeval dualist sect the Cathars, featured on Lincoln’s documentary – which was the main reason behind my watching it. I had to confine myself entirely upon English material relating to the subject matter of Rennes-le-Château between 1979-1982, believing this...

    RENNES-LE-CHÂTEAU DEBUNKED   No treasure at Rennes-le-Château!   Excavations conducted beneath the Tour Magdala at Rennes-le-Château on 20 August 2003 in search of treasure yielded negative results – involving Professors Eisenman and Baratollo, who have both been working on this project since April 2001. The negative results should not surprise informed researchers who have known for decades that no "treasure" at Rennes-le-Château ever existed and is merely the fantasy of confidence tricksters and catchpenny authors. That an archaeological dig in the first place should have been carried out at Rennes-le-Château during recent years is in itself a statement...

The author of the blockbuster novel "The Da Vinci Code" faces an English High Court challenge Monday from two men who claim he stole their ideas. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh are suing their own publishers, Random House, claiming Dan Brown's book draws heavily on their 1982 bestseller "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". Brown's 2003 book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and earned the American 45 million pounds (66 million euros, 78.5 million dollars) in one year, instantly making the writer one of the world's richest. Baigent's and Leigh's book tackles theories that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married,...

LONDON: The author of the blockbuster novel “The Da Vinci Code” faces an English High Court challenge Monday from two men who claim he stole their ideas. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh are suing their own publishers, Random House, claiming Dan Brown’s book draws heavily on their 1982 bestseller “Holy Blood, Holy Grail”. Brown’s 2003 book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and earned the American 45 million pounds in one year, instantly making the writer one of the world’s richest. Baigent’s and Leigh’s book tackles theories that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married, had a child, and the...

New film takes Da Vinci Code conspiracy theories and shaky evidence to new heightsJoseph Brean, National PostWhen Ben Hammott discovered the apparent tomb of a Knight Templar at the bottom of a hole in a cave in the countryside of southern France, he thought he had discovered the final resting place of Mary Magdalene, and so he did what any amateur treasure hunter in this age of the Da Vinci Code would have done. He returned with a Hollywood director, lowered a pole into the tomb with "some sticky stuff on the end," removed the shroud from the body, plucked...