Site: Tintagel Island

Name:Tintagel Island CISP No:TNTIS
Place:Tintagel Island Grid Ref:SX 500 8930 (GB)   Map
Parish:Tintagel Stones:1
County:Cornwall (Kernow) , England Saint(s):none
Site Type:settlement

Site Notes

Tintagel `Island' is a small peninsula jutting out from the north Cornish coast. The stone was found in `Site C' on the lower slopes of the north-eastern side of the Island. For full discussion of Tintagel Island, and plans showing the various sites see Thomas/1993, and for site C and the context of the find see Morris/1997, Morris/1998, Morris/1999.

Thomas/1993 and Morris/1997, 1--143, are the most recent discussions of the Island as a whole, and in the case of Morris, of Site C. The conclusion of the partial excavation of the site is that Tintagel must be seen as a spectacularly important secular, not monastic, settlement of the early middle ages. Radio-carbon dates, and especially large quantities of imported Mediterranean pottery and glass can be used to date occupation of the Island from the fifth to the seventh century. The finding of Oxford Red Colour-coated ware, and of two Late Roman period milestones argue for the possibility that some sort of occupation began on the Island in the fourth century.

The Island became the site for a castle in the later middle ages, and was reputed by Geoffrey of Monmouth to be the site where King Arthur was born to Uther and Igraine. See Padel/1984, 1-28.

References

Stones