Emily Chan
One of the most recognizable Neolithic monuments in England is Arthur’s Stone. The chambered tomb, or dolmen, is located on a hilltop in Herefordshire, England.
It was made in 3700 B.C., and as early as the 13th century, people have linked it to the mythical King Arthur, the ruler of the kingdom of Camelot. Today, only the inner chamber of the tomb has survived.
The table-shaped tomb consists of nine large stones standing upright. They are topped by one massive stone that weighs around 28 tons, according to English Heritage, a charity that manages hundreds of historic sites in England.
Legend has it that King Arthur fought against a giant at the site. As the giant fell to its death, its elbows left behind imprints on the side of one of the stones.
Another tale claims that the marks were made when Arthur knelt down to pray. It is believed the site is also the king’s burial place.
A previous dig conducted outside of the monument revealed that Arthur’s Stone stretched into a field to the south and went through two phases of construction.
More recent studies have shown that the 5,000-year-old tomb may have been part of a complex that led into the Halls of the Dead.
People likely gathered at the complex for meetings and feasts. According to the University of Manchester, the Halls of the Dead were large wooden buildings that were burned to the ground on purpose.
Afterward, they were replaced with three earthen burial mounds. It is possible that Arthur’s Stone and the Halls of the Dead once served as locations for ancient rituals.
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