Sutton Hoo
General Information
David Torres
Sutton Hoo is the site of two 6th- and early 7th-century burial ships, containing a wealth of Anglo-Saxon treasures, art and historical artifacts. It is now held in London in the British Museum. Ship burials were only held for people of importance like Kings, Thanes, or famous Warriors. In 1939 -just before the WWll - an archaeologist named Basil Brown found the largest of 18 burial mounds in the grounds of a country house at Sutton Hoo, eastern England. Inside, he discovered the fabled burial ship of an ancient Anglo-Saxon lord, with all his treasures. |
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The Ship
Richard Belardi
Items found at Sutton Hoo:
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Many items were recovered during the excavation of Sutton Hoo. Many of these were tableware like dishes, cups and utensils. They also found weapons and armor, such as spear heads, a sword, and an axe. With these they found a set of armor: chain mail coat, helmet and shield. These all suggest that there was someone buried in the ship, unfortunately the body – much like the wood of the ship - must have decomposed in the acidic soil.
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The Excavation
Jon Stewart
Sitting at the edge of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, Sutton Hoo held the wealthiest ship burial found to this day beneath it. In 1939, its remains were found; only the metal had survived the acidic English soil. The wooden planks still left impressions in the dirt, but only a pile of rivets and burial items remained. "Coins found at the site... [had] both Christian and pagan features" (Britannica: Sutton Hoo), showing that the ship may have been buried some time around early 600 CE. This, and several other clues point this ship out as the possible burial site of King Raedwald (died 624/625 CE). The excavation ended in 41 items of solid gold, a large amount of silverware, a silver dish - with the ownership stamp of the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I -, and several other Greek and Middle Eastern dishes. |
Works Cited
Title Image: Artist's impression of the Anglo-Saxon ship-burial at Sutton Hoo . Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 27 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/108_252606/1/108_252606/cite
Sutton Hoo Video: "The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: Excavation." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572&v=HMKkMi_Wggg&feature=player_embedded
David Torres Information: "Sutton Hoo: Anglo-Saxon Ship Burial - Google Cultural Institute." Sutton Hoo: Anglo-Saxon Ship Burial - Google Cultural Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Richard Belardi Information: "Suttonhoo." Suttonhoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~jpowers/suttonhoo.htm
Sutton Hoo helmet. Early 7th century AD, England. One of only 4 early medieval helmets found in England. Made of Bronze, Silver wire and garnet. Features decorated panels depicting heroic scenes.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 28 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/300_221148/1/300_221148/cite
Jon Stewart Information: "Sutton Hoo." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/70524>.
Burial Ship. Photographer. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 28 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/115_882985/1/115_882985/cite
Title Image: Artist's impression of the Anglo-Saxon ship-burial at Sutton Hoo . Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 27 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/108_252606/1/108_252606/cite
Sutton Hoo Video: "The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: Excavation." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572&v=HMKkMi_Wggg&feature=player_embedded
David Torres Information: "Sutton Hoo: Anglo-Saxon Ship Burial - Google Cultural Institute." Sutton Hoo: Anglo-Saxon Ship Burial - Google Cultural Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Richard Belardi Information: "Suttonhoo." Suttonhoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~jpowers/suttonhoo.htm
Sutton Hoo helmet. Early 7th century AD, England. One of only 4 early medieval helmets found in England. Made of Bronze, Silver wire and garnet. Features decorated panels depicting heroic scenes.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 28 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/300_221148/1/300_221148/cite
Jon Stewart Information: "Sutton Hoo." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/70524>.
Burial Ship. Photographer. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 28 Jan 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/#/search/115_882985/1/115_882985/cite