Though "Artognou," pronounced "Arthnou," proves that names similar to that of the great King existed in the, so called, Arthurian period, Chris Morris is sceptical about making too much of the obvious link with King Arthur's traditional birthplace. He believes the stone's importance lies in the fact that it is "the first evidence we have that the skills of reading and writing were handed down in a non-religious context". However, Dr Geoffrey Wainwright, chief archaeologist at the, normally cautious, English Heritage declared the newly discovered link should not be dismissed. "Tintagel has presented us with evidence of a Prince of Cornwall, in the Dark Ages, living in a high-status domestic settlement at the time Arthur lived. It has given us the name of a person, Arthnou. Arthnou was here, that is his name on a piece of stone. It is a massive coincidence at the very least. This is where myth meets history. It's the find of a lifetime."

Chris Morris hopes to return next year and excavate the building from which the mysterious stone came. Will there be more of the inscription? The local Cornishmen certainly hope so.

Despite the usual caution displayed on the part of the archaeologists, whether Artognou was the real King Arthur or not, surely there can be little doubt that he is the man responsible for Tintagel's associations with the Great King. For a man's name to have remained associated with a place for almost exactly 1,500 years seems remarkable; but if it happened in Greece and Rome, why not in Britain?

So what about this "Prince of Cornwall" then: who was he, if not the great man himself? The siting of a Royal stronghold at Tintagel would certainly suggest the court of a King of Dumnonia, and Arthur is indeed said by some to descend from this family. The inscription, however, would indicate that Artognou was a descendant of the historical late 4th century Celtic Royal ancestor, King Coel Hen (the Old). Coel lived in the North of Britain where his descendants ruled until mid-7th century. The Royal Line of Dumnonia was only descended from him in the female line during King Cado's generation. Traditionally Arthur was the cousin of Cado's father, though perhaps this Arthur-Artognou was a closer relative. It was not unknown for Celtic Kingdoms to be shared amongst joint-ruling brothers, rather than have the land divided. It is recorded in the Life of St.Carannog that Arthur ruled in Dumnonia, around Dunster, as the junior colleague of Cado. Could it be that the two were brothers, nominally ruling Dumnonia together but Arthur having his stronghold in the West at Tintagel while Cado held sway in the East from Dunster?