In 1939 archaeologists unearthed an astonishing Anglo-Saxon ship burial in Woodbridge, Suffolk;
astonishing both for the state of preservation of the objects within the tomb,
but also astonishing for the sheer rich quality of the artefacts. The burial
goods from Sutton Hoo are remarka 141j92b ble - gold weapons and armour, inlaid
ornaments, silver and tableware. Also found with the body was a purse
containing 37 gold Merovingian (Gaulish) gold coins
dating from the 620's AD.
The armour at Sutton Hoo appears to be Swedish, or at
least it is made in the Swedish style. Certainly the custom of ship burials is
a Nordic one - there are many similar Viking remains in Denmark and Sweden. There is also a large
silver dish made in Byzantium about 500 AD and a
set of 10 silver bowls from the Mediterranean.
Who was buried at Sutton Hoo? Who was so powerful in his lifetime to be
interred with ceremony in a ship nearly 90 feet in length surrounded by so much golden splendour?
Conjecture focuses on Redwald, a Saxon "bretwalda", or king, of East Anglia.
According to the Venerable Bede in his
"Ecclesiastical History", Redwald ruled East Anglia in 616, although his power may have
stretched as far north as the Humber. Redwald was the first East Anglian
king to pay any heed to Christianity. He may have converted to the new religion
- certainly his successors were Christian.
Archaeologists have reconstructed how the burial at Sutton Hoo must have taken
place. A long trench was dug atop a 100 ft. high cliff above the river Deben. The ship was dragged up from the river and set in
the trench. A hut was built in the centre of the ship, and there was placed a
large coffin and the grave goods. The trench was then filled in and a large
mound erected over the top.
When the ship was uncovered the timbers had rotted away. However, the rivets
still remained, and the rotting timbers had stained the sand, so the pattern of
boat construction could be determined, and a good picture of the boat emerged.
It was about 90 feet
long and 14 feet
wide, with a high bow and stern. It is easily the largest Anglo-Saxon ship ever
discovered. The importance of Sutton Hoo cannot be overstated. From the grave goods we
can learn a lot about the pattern of life in this darkest part of the Dark Ages
in Britain.
Even the style of the craftsmanship lets us draw conclusions about how strong
were Saxon connections with rest of Europe. In this case it seems clear that there was a strong Norse influence in East Anglia, but also ties to Gaul and the Mediterranean. Clearly, trade with those areas was
maintained throughout these troubled times. The goods discovered at Sutton Hoo are on display at the British Museum
in London.
Burial site of a 7th century
Anglo-Saxon king, found near Woodbridge, in Suffolk.
Cliff Hoppitt's aerial photograph of Sutton Hoo, taken early one
morning in May 1983.
The top half of the replica
sword blade in the British
Museum
The coins and ingots from
the royal purse (British
Museum)
One of the Pair of Shoulder Clasps (British
Museum).
