Secrets of the Dead S18E03 - King Arthur's Lost Kingdom

After four centuries of occupation and leadership, the Romans left Britain in 410 AD, and the island's fate was left hanging in the balance. History teaches that in the 5th century, the country descended into a tumultuous and violent period known as the Dark Ages, leaving the nation vulnerable to invading Angle and Saxon hordes from northern Europe. With a nation divided, a great leader known as King Arthur emerged, uniting the lawless lands to fight off invaders – or at least that's what the fragmentary historical texts suggest. The truth is, no one really knows what happened, and this pivotal moment in history has been shrouded in mystery – until now.

The key to Professor Alice Roberts' quest is the excavation of a stone palace complex on the Tintagel peninsula in Cornwall, England – long believed to be the birthplace of the King Arthur legend. More than folklore, was Arthur, in fact, ruler of a prosperous and sophisticated trading village and the heroic defender of the native Britons against the invading Anglo-Saxons?