Filmed in association with University of Wales’ Institute of Digital Learning (IDL), it examined the Gwent roots of the legendary British monarch of round table fame – both the real figure, who may have been a 5th or 6th century local warlord, and the mythical Arthur championed in countless folk tales.
Highlighted Quote:
"The Stonehenge bluestones clearly came from west Wales – I don’t hear any question about that. At the very least there’s that Welsh connection, and there could be more."
Llanmelin Fort is an Iron Age defensive enclosure built in about 150 BC by the Silurian tribe of south Wales. It may have been their tribal centre, from where they coordinated their guerilla resistance against the invading Romans for 25 years before 75 AD.
Its remains - situated in Llanmelin Wood - have been excavated widely. The site is ringed by multiple ditches and banks and a drystone revetment. After 50 BC, timber platforms and palisades were built on top of the ditches. Little evidence of human settlement has been found within the walls of the fort, although there is extensive evidence that the site was used for farming after the Roman conquest.
The fact that Caerwent - a market town and administrative centre for the defeated Silures, built at the foot of Llanmelin Hill - was founded in the same year that the fort was abandoned has been pointed to as proof that Llanmelin must have been the capital of the Silures. The size and strength of the fort is further proof of this.
Caerwent is a small village in south Wales that's famous for its historical - particularly Roman - remains. It was founded as Venta Silurum by the Romans, and served as a market town and later - after some local governance was devolved to them - an administrative centre for the native Silurians.
While never quite as impressive as other Romano-British tribal capitals in Britain, it was a sizeable town in its day with a large marketplace, temple and high walls. Many of the walls still remain today. Historian John Newman described them as "easily the most impressive town defence to survive from Roman Britain, and... one of the most perfectly preserved in Northern Europe."
After the Romans left, Caerwent became the centre of the Kingdom of Gwent. Some have suggested that the town may have been where the legendary Camelot where the real King Arthur - a local warlord who led resistance against the invading Saxons - held his court.
Numerous excavations have taken place at Caerwent since the 19th century, making numerous large and small discoveries from throughout the town's history. The most recent excavation - in 2008 - was the subject of a Time Team broadcast in the UK in January 2009. It focused on the invesitgation of buildings including Roman shops and a villa.
Lodge Hill Fort is the site of an ancient hillfort, above Caerleon on the outskirts of the city of Newport, Wales. Speculation has it that it may once have been the site of Camelot - the castle of the legendary King Arthur.
It was built and occupied by early Welsh tribes. The warlike Silures were resident there around the time of the Roman invasion of the area. They put up a fierce resistance to the Romans, but the Silures and Lodge Hill were eventually subdued - either by force, or by persuasion.
It's been speculated that, after the Romans left, the fort may have been reoccupied by a local warlord who led resistance against a Saxon takeover of the area. This warlord may have been King Arthur, and Lodge Hill could have been the actual site of Camelot, although it's impossible to be sure.
Archaeological investigations of the fort site in the summer of 2000 were led by Dr Ray Howell from the University of Wales. Numerous small finds were made, and numerous layers of occupation were discovered. Lodge Hill featured in the University of Wales Institute of Digital Learning's video Reclaiming King Arthur, featuring Dr Howell.
Historian, Historical Archaeologist and Director of South Wales Centre for Historical and Interdisciplinary Research (SWCHIR)
Dr Raymond Howell is a Welsh reader of History and Historical Archaeology at the University of Wales, Newport, and the Director of the South Wales Centre for Historical and Interdisciplinary Research (SWCHIR). He specialises in research areas including social development of later Roman and sub Roman Britain, Iron Age settlement patterns in southeast Wales and aspects of tribal continuity in Wales. He has authored several books, articles and papers, including Searching For the Silures: An Iron Age Tribe in South-East Wales, which was
first published in 2006 and is set to be reprinted in 2010.
'Reclaiming King Arthur' - a video produced by the University of Wales, Newport, aims to bring to life the legend of King Arthur, by examining historic evidence and the literary tradition which points to Gwent as the home of this famous character as well as to introduce an international audience to the history of this South Wales site. In the video - available for all to see on the University's Instititue of Digital Learning website - Dr Ray Howell examines the relevance of King Arthur as most widely known through legend, myth, historical evidence, literature and the literary tradition which include explanation of how Caerleon in Newport can stake its claim to Arthur’s round table, following 200 years of Roman occupation and how the legend has inspired writers throughout the centuries since... .
'Reclaiming King Arthur' - a video produced by the University of Wales, Newport, aims to bring to life the legend of King Arthur, by examining historic evidence and the literary tradition which points to Gwent as the home of this famous character as well as to introduce an international audience to the history of this South Wales site. In the video - 
