25th March 2013, 04:55 PM
Can't see where the problem is with the project. It clearly distinguishes between research of an authentic place/time/ethic groups and the 'exploration of the Arthurian legend'. If archaeological research is directed at validating a myth, the critics may have a point, albeit one that disregards any aesthetic appreciation of 'romance' as a great early European literary tradition. However, it seems perfectly legitimate to seek to understand the contemporary context in order to better comprehend the Arthur of literary tradition, which, it should be remembered, can be traced back beyond Geoffrey of Monmouth, to Y Gododdin, in which Aneirin, describes a battle at Catterick, possibly at the beginning of the 7th century. Interestingly Aneirin's lament for the loss of the Gododdin warriors, echos down the centuries to collide with the fate of the Jacobites, and of course, that of the 'flower of Scotland' at every 5/6 Nations Championship since.