King Arthur's Round Table found

[Quad]

Very interesting, still waiting for an Excalibur BD release.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl...ncient_ro.html


King Arthur's legendary Round Table is no longer the stuff of fantasy - researchers say they've found the location of the most famous landmark in Camelot's magical kingdom.

Historians exploring the legend of King Arthur believe they've finally solved the mystery with the recent discovery of an ancient Roman amphitheater in Chester, England, reports London's Telegraph.

The amphitheater, which boasts an execution stone and a wooden memorial to Christian martyrs, has scholars in a frenzy because it seems to perfectly match historical clues from Arthurian lore.

"In the sixth century, a monk named Gildas, who wrote the earliest account of Arthur’s life, referred to both the City of Legions and to a martyr’s shrine within it," Camelot historian Chris Gidlow told the Telegraph.

"That is the clincher. The discovery of the shrine within the amphitheatre means that Chester was the site of Arthur’s court and his legendary Round Table."

That means Camelot wasn’t a castle specially built for King Arthur – London’s most famous Knight was holding his meetings in a re-purposed Roman structure.

According to legend, Arthur’s knights would gather at Camelot and take their seats at a round table to strategize with the King before battle. The legendary table was said to have no head, implying that everyone there was equal.

But historians say the Round Table was no table at all -- rather, it was a massive wood and stone structure able to hold an impressive crowd.

"The first accounts of the Round Table show that it was nothing like a dining table but was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time," said Gidlow.

And contrary to the idea of equality, the Telegraph reports that seating in the amphitheater would have been done by hierarchy, with regional noblemen in the front row and lower ranked subjects circling the outside.