Anthropology

Inscribed seventh-century window ledge unearthed at Tintagel
Find adds to view that Cornish site was home to thriving trade port in early middle ages

Steven Morris
@stevenmorris20
Thu 14 Jun 2018 19.01 EDT


A seventh-century slate window ledge inscribed with an intriguing mix of Latin, Greek and Celtic words, names and symbols has been unearthed at in north Cornwall.

The discovery adds weight to the view that the rugged coastal site, which is most often , 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 coast to the eastern Mediterranean.

Tintagel is one of the most spectacular historic sites in Britain Onsite research is focusing not on the stories of King Arthur but on a settlement from the early middle ages. At least 100 buildings were built on the cliffs and may have been inhabited from as early as the fourth century to as late as the eighth.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/15/inscribed-7th-century-window-ledge-tintagel-cornwall