There was also a large decorated purse containing 37 gold coins, three blank coins and two small ingots, which caused a reaction among archaeologists. Each coin came from a different mint in Francia, across the English Channel, and they provide key evidence for the date of the burial, in the early seventh century. An enormous wooden shield was placed by the chamber's west wall the head end of the burial. This was very ornate, decorated with a ring of animal heads around the rim and images of a bird-of-prey and dragon.
A whetstone sharpening stone was also placed along this wall. It was a long, smooth bar carved with human faces at either end and topped with the model of a stag. Domestic objects lay at the east end of the chamber, including wooden tubs and buckets, two small cauldrons and one very large one with an intricate iron chain that suspended it over a fire.
The Sutton Hoo grave is remarkable for the majesty of its contents and its monumental scale. But it also rewrote our understanding of a time that we had previously misunderstood. Post-Roman Britain was considered to have entered the 'Dark Ages', where civilisation in all aspects of life declined.
Sutton Hoo proved otherwise. Excavating the ship burial at Sutton Hoo - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption.
The west end of the burial chamber is lifted - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption. Inspecting shoulder-clasps - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption.
Excavating the iron stand - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption. Full-length view of the ship - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption. Aerial view of the burial site - opens in a modal which shows a larger image and a caption. Skip to main content Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Read more about our cookie policy Accept and close the cookie policy.
The Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo. Show image caption Close image caption Helmet, early seventh century. Sutton Hoo helmet on Collection online. Share the page Share on Facebook Share on Twitter.
Contents A king's grave? The missing body Piecing together evidence Inside the burial chamber A light on the 'Dark Ages' Photos of the excavations. Visit Room Read Edith Pretty's remarkable story. Discovery of the burial ground Amateur archaeologist Basil Brown famously made the discovery of a lifetime back in , when he brushed away the Suffolk soil and revealed the richest intact early medieval grave in Europe.
A king's grave? The missing body Unfortunately, we'll never know the true identity of the grave's inhabitant. Piecing together evidence Piecing together evidence Brunning's study of the Sutton Hoo sword has led her to believe that the owner was left-handed, with patterns of wear indicating it was worn on the right side and carried in the left hand.
Each object tells a story and reveals something about the person they accompanied into the afterlife. Weaponry such as a pattern welded sword suggests a great war leader, a lyre evokes a musician and poet, the exquisite gold and garnet craftsmanship on many items represent a patron of the arts whereas objects like the drinking horns speak of a generous host.
Items such as the shield are thought to have been diplomatic gifts from Scandinavia and speak of someone both well respected and highly connected, whereas the shoulder clasps modelled on those worn by Roman emperors tell us of someone who borrowed from different cultures and power bases to assert their own authority. Together they form a potent piece of power poetry, likely the burial of a king. Most iconic among the treasures is undoubtedly the Sutton Hoo helmet.
Highly corroded and broken into more than one hundred fragments when the burial chamber collapsed, the helmet took many years work by the British Museum conservation team to reconstruct.
The helmet demonstrates influence from earlier Roman cavalry helmets and also from Swedish helmets of a similar era to the Sutton Hoo burial. The connection with Sweden and Scandinavia can be seen in a number of other items, including the Sutton Hoo shield and the drinking horns.
It reminds us that East Anglia was the western shore of a Germanic culture that spread around the North Sea. The replica helmet at Sutton Hoo features the kind of exquisite detail that would have been seen in the real thing.
The helmet can be interpreted as war gear, as a status symbol, as a clue to some of the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxons and as a triumph of craftsmanship.
The people buried at Sutton Hoo were not only closely connected to their Scandinavian neighbours, but clearly engaged in travel and trade across huge distances. Garnets that decorate many of the treasures most likely originated in Sri Lanka and there were also items from the Byzantine Empire, from Egypt and from all across Europe.
The dating of the coins help us locate the burial to around the year AD, a time of political and religious change across England. Terms of Use. Report a map error. Curator's corner Eighty years and more of Sutton Hoo It's been 80 years since Sutton Hoo was discovered and excavated. The Sutton Hoo ship during excavation, An ancient kingdom Sutton Hoo lay within the kingdom of East Anglia today the region of Suffolk and Norfolk , which was apparently pretty mighty when the burial took place.
AD — Gold belt buckle, Britain, early 7th century AD. Iron and tinned copper alloy helmet, Britain, early 7th century AD. A Herculean feat Just take a moment to imagine the time, effort and workforce involved in realising this vision of eternal commemoration — dragging the ship up from the river below, digging the huge trench, manoeuvring the ship into it, cutting and preparing the trees for the chamber, building the chamber, dressing it with incredible finery and then raising the towering mound.
Diary of Basil Brown, including watercolour of the Sutton Hoo burial mound before excavation. Gold sword upper guard-plate, Britain, 6th century AD. More stories. Curator's corner How to write cuneiform 21 January Read story. Curator's corner Trade and contraband in ancient Assyria 2 April Read story. Back to top.
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