1,300-year-old Latin, Greek and Christian inscriptions found on a windowsill at Tintagel Castle suggest 'the site of King Arthur's conception' had a multicultural community

• The stone is a two-foot long piece of slate which served as a window ledge
• It is inscribed with Latin writing, Greek letters and Christian symbols
• Among the inscriptions are Roman and Celtic names 'Tito' or Titus, and 'Budic'
• English Heritage manages the site and believes this could prove medieval Tintagel was a multicultural site 

A windowsill inscribed with rare ancient writing has been uncovered at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall - the site where 'King Arthur was conceived'.

Experts believe that this could be evidence of a multicultural royal site.

The stone, believed to be part of a medieval window ledge, contains Latin writing, Greek letters and Christian symbols from the seventh century AD.

Analysis of the inscription revealed that it was likely someone practising writing a text, analysis has found.

A stone inscribed with rare ancient writing (pictured) has been uncovered at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. Experts believe that this could be evidence of a multicultural royal site

Inscribed writing from the early Middle Ages rarely survives, so the find of the 1,300 year old engraving is particularly unusual. 

The stone was uncovered at the north Cornwall site last summer by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit.

As well as the inscribed rock, the team also found oyster shells, livestock bones, bowls from Turkey and glass goblets from Spain dating from the same period.

While Tintagel is intricately bound up in the legend of King Arthur, experts think it was the seat of early Cornish kings who had strong trading links to the Mediterranean during 'Cornwall's First Golden Age'.

Analysis of the inscriptions on the stone show the person carving them was familiar with both the informal style of writing used for documents and the formal script for illuminated Gospel books of the time.

It adds further weight to the theory of early medieval Tintagel as a royal site with a literate Christian culture and a network of connections stretching from Atlantic Europe to the eastern Mediterranean, English Heritage said.

The stone, a two-foot long piece of Cornish slate which served as a window ledge in a building that appears to have been part of a major early medieval settlement, includes Roman and Celtic names 'Tito' or Titus, and 'Budic'.

The stone contains Latin writing, Greek letters and Christian symbols from the seventh century AD. Analysis of the inscription revealed that it was likely someone practising writing a text, analysis has found

This hints at a multicultural community on the north Cornwall coast some 1,300 years ago, the experts said.

The Latin words 'fili' or son, and 'viri duo', which means two men, also appear on the stone.

Further analysis will be conducted on the stone to see how it was engraved, and meanwhile it is going on display at Tintagel from Saturday.

English Heritage curator Win Scutt said: 'It's incredible to think that 1,300 years ago, on this dramatic Cornish cliff-top, someone was practising their writing, using Latin phrases and Christian symbols.

The stone, a two-foot long piece of Cornish slate which served as a window ledge in a building that appears to have been part of a major early medieval settlement, includes Roman and Celtic names 'Tito' or Titus, and 'Budic'

The stone was uncovered at the north Cornwall site last summer by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit. As well as the inscribed rock, the team also found oyster shells, livestock bones, bowls from Turkey and glass goblets from Spain dating from the same period

'We can't know for sure who made these marks or why, but what we can say is that seventh century Tintagel had professional scribes who were familiar with the techniques of writing manuscripts and that in itself is very exciting.

'Our ongoing research has already revealed the extent of Tintagel's buildings and the richness of the lifestyle enjoyed here.

'This latest find goes one step further to show that we have a literate, Christian community, with strong connections from Atlantic Europe to the Mediterranean.'

While Tintagel is intricately bound up in the legend of King Arthur, said to have been conceived there, experts think it was the seat of early Cornish kings with trading links to the Mediterranean during 'Cornwall's First Golden Age'

Further analysis will be conducted on the stone to see how it was engraved, and meanwhile it is going on display at Tintagel from Saturday. English Heritage described the stone as 'incredible' 

Expert on writing Michelle Brown from the University of London said: 'The lettering style and language used, as well as Christian symbols exhibiting Mediterranean influence and contacts, all reveal precious clues to the culture of those who lived at Tintagel in the seventh century.'

She said the style and layout was suggestive of a 'competent scribe from a Christian background, who was familiar with writing documents and books and who was practising a series of words and phrases rather than carving a finished inscription'.

The inscribed stone is the second example of early medieval writing to be found at Tintagel, with the first found in 1998 with several words on it including Artognou, wrongly taken by some as a variant of Arthur.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR?

The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

Many historians agree that while the king was a genuine historical figure in early Britain, he could in fact be a composite of multiple people from an age of poor record keeping.  

There are many versions of the Arthur legend, but some common threads are interwoven throughout them.

In 410 AD, the Romans pulled their troops out of Britain and, with the loss of their authority, local chieftans and kings competed for land. 

In 449 AD, King Vortigern invited the Angles and Saxons to settle in Kent in order to help him fight the Picts and the Scots.

However, the Angles and Saxons betrayed Vortigern at a peace council where they drew their knives and killed 460 British chiefs. 

The massacre was called the Night of the Long Knives, which, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, occurred at a monastery on the Salisbury Plain.

Ambrosius Aurelianus, became King and consulted the wizard Merlin to help him select an appropriate monument to raise in honour of the dead chieftains.

Merlin suggested that the King's Ring from Mount Killarus in Ireland be dismantled and brought to England. 

The king's brother and Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, led an expedition of soldiers to bring the stones from Ireland to England. 

Merlin magically reconstructed the stones as Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain around the burials of the dead British chieftains in the monastery cemetery. 

Some legends say Arthur was born at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall and was taken by Merlin to be raised by Sir Ector.

Shortly thereafter, civil war broke out in England and Uther Pendragon was killed.

When Arthur was a young boy he drew a sword called Caliburn from a stone. 

One version of the legend states that the sword was made at Avalon from a sarsen stone that originated either from Avebury or Stonehenge and whoever drew the sword from the stone was the true King of England. 

Arthur was coronated in the ruins of the Roman fort at Caerleon in Wales.

In another version, King Ambrosius Aurelianus led a battle against the Saxons at Badon Hill. 

Aurelianus was killed and his nephew, Arthur, took control of the soldiers and won the battle. Later, Arthur lost Caliburn in a fight with Sir Pellinore but was saved by Merlin's magic. 

Arthur received a new sword (Excalibur) and a scabbard from Nimue, the Lady in the Lake at Avalon. 

The scabbard was magical and as long as Arthur wore it, he could not die.

Arthur had three half-sisters who are sometimes referred to as sorceresses. 

Arthur fell in love with Morgana, not knowing that she was his half-sister and they had a son named Mordred. 

When Arthur discovered the truth, he was horrified and ordered all male infants born at the same time as his son to be brought to Caerleon. 

The babies were put onto an unattended ship and set out to sea, which crashed on some rocks and sank. 

Mordred survived the sinking of the ship and was found by a man walking on the shore and taken home.

Arthur fell in love again with a woman named Guinevere who was the daughter of King Lodegrance of Camylarde.

They married and her dowry included a round table and many knights. Arthur established his court at Camelot

The round table became a symbol of equality amongst his knights, for no knight was seated in a position superior to another.

In addition, a mealtime rule at the table was that no one could eat until they told a story of daring.