Unfortunately, we'll never know the true identity of the grave's inhabitant. But who was buried there and what did it reveal about this period in history? Among many priceless goods (armor, weapons, coins, intricate gold jewelry, silver drinking horns and trinkets, textiles, Byzantine treasures and fine clothes - all coming from all over Europe – there was also the famous Sutton Hoo helmet dated to 600– 650 AD. 'The imagery of soaring timber halls, gleaming treasures, powerful kings and spectacular funerals in the Old English poem Beowulf could no longer be read as legends – they were reality, at least for the privileged few in early Anglo-Saxon society.'. It reveals a place of exquisite craftsmanship and extensive international connections, spanning Europe and beyond. The platter was already a century old when buried at Sutton Hoo, and reflects East Anglia's long-distance connections. Items that were found included weapons and armor, including the famous Sutton Hoo helmet, objects made of precious metals, as well as equipment used during feasts, such as drinking horns and cauldrons. They effectively chose to enshrine that left-handedness in a very visual way at the funeral. 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. But who was it? Weighing more than 400 grams, the buckle is actually a hollow box that opens at the back on a hinge beneath the loop. There was also a large decorated purse containing 37 gold coins, three blank coins and two small ingots, which caused a reaction among archaeologists. As Basil and a team of archaeologists dug deeper, they unearthed fine feasting vessels, deluxe hanging bowls, silverware from distant Byzantium, luxurious textiles, gold dress accessories set with Sri Lankan garnets and the iconic helmet with human mask. This spectacular gold buckle from the Sutton Hoo ship burial shows that the person commemorated there was of great importance. Some scholars say this burial is the richest ever found in northern Europe. This is the currently selected item. On the other hand, perhaps the ship burial at Sutton Hoo is a literal cenotaph, an empty tomb. A source investigation exercise with students shown a number of treasures from the Sutton Hoo burial. Since its discovery in 1939, the Sutton Hoo burial site has been the most important physical link to the Anglo Saxon world. Sometime around 1,400 years ago, a great ship was hauled up from the East Anglian coast to Sutton Hoo, the site of an Anglo-Saxon burial ground. 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. The Sutton Hoo ship burial. What soon became evident was that this was no ordinary ancient cemetery. It was probably Redwald who was buried in the great Sutton Hoo ship burial. Treasure, mystery and a patchwork historical narrative to place the evidence alongside. His name was Redwald. Sutton Hoo is near the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, England. England at this time was divided into a series of kingdoms and the incredible wealth displayed in this burial seemed to indicate that this was a royal burial. Purse lid from the Sutton Hoo ship burial. One cemetery had an undisturbed ship burial with a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts; most of these objects are now held by the British Museum. Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon ship burial (also described by some as a grave field) that is located in England in the county of Suffolk. This led to early speculation over whether the Sutton Hoo ship burial was actually a cenotaph – an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person whose remains are elsewhere. And what can the Sutton Hoo excavation tell us about Anglo-Saxon society? Here, the ship became the last resting place of a king or a great warrior. The site consists of 19 or 20 burial mounds that were most likely formed between 625 and 670 AD. Thomas Robjent. Here mysterious grassy mounds covered a number of ancient graves. The mourners at Sutton Hoo chose and arranged the grave goods around the burial chamber in a meaningful way to transmit messages about the dead person's identity and status in society – as a mighty leader, wealthy, generous, connected with the wider world and the glorious Roman past. And all this is set within a beautiful 255-acre estate, offering walks with incredible views, and even an Edwardian house to explore should the weather take an inclement turn. The Sutton Hoo burial ground in East Anglia, England, provides vivid evidence for attitudes to death immediately before the conversion of an English community to Christianity in the seventh century C.E. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. Further excavations took place through the 1960s and into the 1990s, uncovering the richest burial ground ever to have been found in northern Europe. You can see here that the chamber was housed within the heart of the ship, at its lowest point. Spanning over 700 years, this Room traces the story of Europe from 300 AD. Alex Burghart looks back to the discovery of the fabulous Anglo-Saxon burial at Sutton Hoo, and ponders how far we've come in our knowledge of the period since 1939. Test your knowledge of Early Medieval art. Please try again represents the most important finds, made using traditional methods, plus number. 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