(Smithsonian Magazine) The first extensive written account of King Arthur came around 1138, when historian Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote History of the Kings of Britain. Even at the time, Monmouth’s story was not accepted by many other scholars of his day. But over the centuries, the tale of Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere has gained its place in popular imagination, even if evidence for their existence remains elusive.
But a new structure uncovered on the Tintagel peninsula in Cornwall adds a tiny sliver of credence to the Arthur legend. According to David Keys at the Independent, archaeologists are working to uncover a large palace with three-foot wide stone walls and flagstone floors in the area that Monmouth claimed was Arthur’s birthplace (or at least where he was conceived). The palace was likely built in the 6th century and is the most substantial structure from the dark ages uncovered in Britain to date.