Sutton Hoo: Anglo-Saxon Burial Ground and Treasure Trove
Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England, was the site of the breathtaking 1938-1939 archaeological excavations that uncovered the secrets of Anglo-Saxon burial mounds, including the impression of a longship that contained treasures intended for use in the afterlife.
As a result of the dig, historians were forced to reconsider their perceptions of 6th and 7th century England or Angland, and they acknowledged that this period boasted military capabilities and cultural delights.
The burial mounds were situated in the former Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of East Anglia, also called the Kingdom of the East Angles, part of the "Heptarchy" with Wessex, Mercia, Kent, Sussex, Northumbria and Essex. The Wuffingas dynasty ruled; their name translated as "kin of the wolf."
Over a thousand years after the Wuffingas', a widow named Edith Pretty became intrigued by the mounds on her property, and she arranged an excavation that revealed the largest haul of medieval European artifacts.
Edith Pretty Contacts Archaeologist Basil Brown
Widow and mother of one Edith Pretty, nee Dempster (1883-1942) appreciated that Sutton Hoo, her 255 acre estate near to the market town of Woodbridge, held historical interest. 18 burial mounds lay approximately 460 metres from her home Tranmer House. She wondered what they contained.
She was an amateur archaeologist; throughout her privileged upbringing she'd accompanied her father on archaeological digs around Egypt, in Pompeii and near to their Cheshire home, Vale Royal.
In 1938 she contacted another amateur archaeologist named Basil Brown to arrange a dig at Sutton Hoo. Brown and the nationally recognised experts that followed him to Suffolk weren't the first to look for Sutton Hoo's Anglo-Saxon secrets. During the medieval and Stuart eras two areas of the site were looted or disturbed but the bulk of the treasures remained hidden.
Sutton Hoo's Treasures
The excavations of mounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 in 1938 and 1939 by Basil Brown and Charles Phillips unearthed swords, shields, helmets, gold purses and belt buckles, jewels and silver plate. The Sutton Hoo helmet is arguably the best known artifact.
Mound 1 was unique. It revealed the impression of a mostly rotted longship about 27 metres in length and over 7.6 metres deep. The marks where the rivets sat were still visible. Ship burials were rare and this find was considered to be either a burial site or a cenotaph.
In what would have been the burial chamber for an Anglo-Saxon king there was solid gold and a range of silver items that, according to custom, could be used in the afterlife.
There was a human sized space but no skeletal remains in the burial chamber. Later tests revealed traces of phosphorous in the soil; over the centuries the body dissolved entirely in the acid present in the ground it was laid to rest in.
Experts speculated that the longship dated back to the ruler Raedwald who died in 624-5. He appeared the most likely occupant because there was evidence of Christian and pagan rituals and items in the chamber. He converted from paganism to Christianity and then reverted to paganism during his life.
The British Museum Houses the Sutton Hoo Teasures
As the landowner, Edith Pretty was the rightful owner of all the treasures liberated from the dirt on her estate, but she refused to sell the artifacts and make a profit from them. Instead, she donated all of the items to the British Museum in London so that everyone could view and enjoy the riches from Sutton Hoo.
She remains one of their most significant benefactors in its 270+ year history.
Further digs at mounds 1 and 5 were carried out between 1965-1971. 1983-2001 saw excavations around the estate, and these revealed more Anglo-Saxon treasures and everyday items.
Subsequent dig coordinators have sent their Sutton Hoo artifacts to the British Museum. The 1983-2001 excavations were managed by Professor Martin Carver from York University for the Sutton Hoo Research Trust.
The 1930s dig at Sutton Hoo erased many false perceptions about Anglo-Saxon people and their lives. It continues to inform us; today, Sutton Hoo is open to the public, and it is managed by the National Trust.
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