Lucid Planet Radio with Dr. Kelly: Encore: Exploring the Lost Tomb of King Arthur: Fantasy or Reality? with British Historian Graham Phillips

The story of King Arthur is known throughout the world, and is being widely publicized this week with the release of Guy Ritchie's new film on the subject starting Charlie Hunnam. The fabled Camelot, Sir Bedivere casting Excalibur into the lake and Arthur’s secret burial at the isle of Avalon: These are just a few of the enchanting themes in the ancient saga that historians have long considered to be pure fantasy. Today Dr. Kelly explores The Lost Tomb of King Arthur with athor Graham Phillips who presents compelling evidence that such legends were actually based on real events.

During a quest lasting over twenty-five years, Phillips has followed a fascinating trail of historical clues showing Arthur to have been a living warrior who led the Britons around the year 500. He has discovered that the legendary Camelot, Excalibur and Avalon were based on a real city, a real sword and a real island. And, most astonishing of all, Graham has found what he claims to be the location where Arthur was finally buried. An ancient manuscript still persevered at Oxford University, Graham believes, reveals the whereabouts of King Arthur’s long-lost tomb. Not in the South West town of Glastonbury, as the popular myth maintains, but at an ancient site in the isolated countryside of central England. With the help of archaeologists employing the very the latest scientific equipment, Graham now has what he is certain is the final proof that this disregarded Dark Age text really does reveal the last resting place of the man behind the legend of King Arthur.

Graham Phillips is a British non-fiction author who has investigated historical mysteries since the 1980s. He has investigated such enigmas as King Arthur, Robin Hood, and the death of Alexander the Great, as well as researched various biblical conundrums such as the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. Phillips has written fifteen published books on these subjects and has appeared in many broadcast documentaries over the years. He lives in England where he works full-time as what he describes as an "historical detective." Graham Phillips has also been described as a modern-day adventurer, and a real-life Indiana Jones.