Medieval Archaeologists Hunt For King Arthur's Lost Bones | Myth Hunters | Chronicle

Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries・2 minutes read

King Arthur, a legendary British monarch, is remembered for his leadership and bravery, with his reign in the 6th century being surrounded by mystery and conflicting claims about his final resting place. Two archaeologists, Frederick BL Bond and Arthur Radford, pursued different paths in searching for King Arthur's bones, with Radford focusing on Tintagel and discovering evidence supporting the existence of a real 6th-century Arthurian Kingdom, despite never conclusively proving the direct link to King Arthur.

Insights

  • Frederick BL Bond utilized mathematical patterns to uncover lost structures at Glastonbury Abbey, theorizing a secret code used by its builders, although his paranormal methods were met with skepticism and criticism from the Church of England.
  • Arthur Radford, mentored by BL Bond, shifted his archaeological focus to Tintagel, discovering imported pottery that revolutionized the understanding of Dark Age Britain, aiming to establish its significance as part of a real 6th-century Arthurian Kingdom, ultimately revealing compelling evidence supporting King Arthur's existence.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • Was King Arthur a real historical figure?

    Yes

Related videos

Summary

00:00

Quest for King Arthur's Lost Tomb

  • King Arthur, Britain's legendary monarch, is renowned for his honor and courage, leading the Knights of the Round Table with the sword Excalibur.
  • Two archaeologists in the 20th century embarked on a quest to find King Arthur's bones, one driven by facts and the other by the supernatural.
  • King Arthur's reign in the 6th century is shrouded in mystery, with few historical facts known due to the Dark Ages.
  • Monks in 1191 claimed to have found King Arthur's grave at Glastonbury Abbey, but doubts arose due to the Abbey's destruction in 1539.
  • Architect Frederick BL Bond believed in King Arthur's existence and sought to prove it through archaeological means at Glastonbury Abbey.
  • Bond used mathematical patterns to map out the Abbey's ruins, uncovering lost buildings like the Chapel and the Abbey Church.
  • Bond believed in a secret mathematical code used by the Abbey's builders, leading to the discovery of the Lost Chapel and the Abbey Church's layout.
  • Bond's calculations pinpointed the location of King Arthur's tomb in the Abbey Church, but the search for Arthur's bones failed.
  • Bond's reliance on numbers and the occult, including seances with dead monks, led to skepticism and criticism from the Church of England.
  • Despite Bond's efforts, he believed he had found King Arthur's original grave in the ancient cemetery at Glastonbury Abbey, but his paranormal investigations caused controversy and doubt.

22:58

"Radford's Quest: Uncovering King Arthur's Grave"

  • BL Bond's quest for King Arthur's bones was shut down by the Church in 1923 due to the discovery of the number 666 in the excavation site.
  • Arthur Radford, mentored by BL Bond, became a leading archaeologist in Dark Age Britain, focusing on King Arthur's quest.
  • Radford, unlike Bond, was a skeptic and sought solid evidence in his archaeological pursuits.
  • Radford shifted his search from King Arthur's death place to his birthplace at Tintagel, believing in the legend's significance.
  • Tintagel was believed to be a monastery in the 6th century, with evidence of international trade with the Eastern Mediterranean.
  • Radford's discovery of imported pottery at Tintagel in the 1930s revolutionized the understanding of Dark Age Britain.
  • Radford aimed to prove Tintagel's significance as part of a real 6th-century Arthurian Kingdom.
  • Radford's excavation at Glastenbury Abbey aimed to find King Arthur's grave, following Gerald of Wales' account.
  • Radford's meticulous excavation revealed evidence of Arthur's grave, including stone chippings from the 12th century monks.
  • Radford's discovery of a foundation wall and historical records confirmed the authenticity of King Arthur's grave, debunking claims of a hoax.

45:12

Radford's Discovery: Evidence of King Arthur's Existence

  • The inscription found in the island of Avalon, believed to be King Arthur's grave, was dated by Radford to the 10th century, not the 12th as previously thought. Radford's excavation at Glastonbury Abbey revealed evidence supporting the existence of King Arthur, with imported Mediterranean Pottery as a key indicator for sites of the fifth and sixth centuries.
  • Radford, despite never proving the direct link to King Arthur, continued his quest for evidence until his death in 1998. Posthumously, it was discovered that Radford had indeed found Tintagel Ware in the Abbey grounds, dating back to the 6th century, supporting the belief in King Arthur's existence as the heart of a Dark Age Kingdom.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.