Marlborough Mound: 'Merlin's burial place' built in 2400 BC

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[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/67b3f304a71a.jpg[/atsimg]

A Wiltshire mound where the legendary wizard Merlin was purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC.

Radiocarbon dating tests were carried out on charcoal samples taken from Marlborough Mound, which lies in Marlborough College's grounds.

The 19m (62ft) high mound had previously mystified historians. Some believed it dated back to about 600 AD.

English Heritage said: "This is a very exciting time for British prehistory."

Dig leader Jim Leary said: "This is an astonishing discovery.

"The Marlborough Mound has been one of the biggest mysteries in the Wessex landscape.

I had to share this because I love this type of stuff. Anything that is a mystery, especially an ancient mystery has to be paid attention to.

This is the supposed place that Merlin was buried, I'm not sure how many people here know about this, but it is a cool story.

Cool to see actual science helping out a story like this, and I think it is quite interesting to see it being dated back so long ago.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Would be cool to see what they find if they excavate it to see what's inside this mound...if it's merlin it could hold some very interesting finds inside of it

Just down the motorway (freeway) so i can check this place out! Glastonbury Tor also has some exciting mythology associated with it, the South West is a good place to be! almost forgot Stone Henge!

reply to post by 11I11


More information (the first diagram in the link below)

www.pasthorizons.com...

shows a cut away of the mound and where the samples were taken from

reply to post by Hanslune


Thanks buddy, I was trying to find that link to include it in the OP, but I obviously didn't look hard enough. Greatly appreciated.

Pred...

Awesome find! I'm a sucker for prehistory and connecting legend to fact... Makes the fires of my imagination burn bright!

S&F OP!!

Originally posted by predator0187
reply to post by Hanslune

 

Thanks buddy, I was trying to find that link to include it in the OP, but I obviously didn't look hard enough. Greatly appreciated.

Pred...

Certainly, I also believe but couldn't find, a cite for the mound being dug into during the 19th century or late 18th century.

Could there possibly be a 'fear of evil' mentality which makes the ancestors bury someone under 60ft of dirt?
Maybe they did not want someone to come back from under all that?

reply to post by CitizenNum287119327


Perhaps or it may have been the ego of a man who was great or they wanted a high place for ceremonies. This mound is near Silbury hill too

The myths of Myrddin predate Christianity, but they aren't 4500 years old. Even if this person was really historical and not a mythological icon of some sort, chances are the mound was there long before his name was associated with it.

To me, that's even more interesting, this assimilation of symbolism over the eras, layering myth over myth. Who sparked the initial effort to build that mound I wonder?

It was the beginning of the Bronze Age, so what we'd find is sedentary societies, and goddess/earth/fertility religions. And this is when the great mounds began to be built. Also, it was the time of the rise of the Beaker people, a patriarchal society, and also when the individual warrior-chief or king gained importance.

So my guess is that it's some ancient warrior-chief that this place was originally built for, and only 1000s of years later, was 'Merlin' associated with it.

Forgive my lack of knowledge but this looks to be located on a leyline? Isnt this then linked to all the other ancient sites along these leylines? - In various countries??

reply to post by Jadette


I think you're spot on with your balanced assessment.

Good work!

IRM

S&F.. Thanks for the linky

I would love to see what might be buried inside

A smaller Kingly mound was found near me (Sussex) dating to around 1500bc containing amongst other things this amber cup.. (date based on the oak coffin the King/Chief was buried in)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c604c1cfded8.jpg[/atsimg]
Hoves Amber Cup
the Amber came from the Baltic..

So I drool at the thought of what this one might contain..

Originally posted by predator0187
Source

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/67b3f304a71a.jpg[/atsimg]

A Wiltshire mound where the legendary wizard Merlin was purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC.

Radiocarbon dating tests were carried out on charcoal samples taken from Marlborough Mound, which lies in Marlborough College's grounds.

The 19m (62ft) high mound had previously mystified historians. Some believed it dated back to about 600 AD.

English Heritage said: "This is a very exciting time for British prehistory."

Dig leader Jim Leary said: "This is an astonishing discovery.

"The Marlborough Mound has been one of the biggest mysteries in the Wessex landscape.

I had to share this because I love this type of stuff. Anything that is a mystery, especially an ancient mystery has to be paid attention to.

This is the supposed place that Merlin was buried, I'm not sure how many people here know about this, but it is a cool story.

Cool to see actual science helping out a story like this, and I think it is quite interesting to see it being dated back so long ago.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Nice, so the article claims that Merlin was real and purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC?
Why 2400 BC? wasn't Merlin born in the middle ages? if he wasn't born in the middle ages i guess all those stories on him have been wrong.

This thread deserves to be dug from the grave! Just found it now when I was doing some research for Merlin, very interesting!

reply to post by predator0187


I wonder where Merlin "The Magi(cian)" was from.

Magician from Magi was a word used in those times to describe Persian wise men. I wonder if there's any relation(2400 BC is not that bad actually). ;-)