Sutton Hoo: The True Artifacts

Most if not all of the historical information that is provided at Town Creek today for visitors to witness is connected to the archaeological excavations that were completed of the area during the middle of the 20th century (NC Weekend). The work for the excavations began in 1937 with Floyd and Minnie Frutchey, but Floyd never got to see the completion of the excavation (Coe, 3). The excavations were completed in the year 1987 (Coe, 11). During the excavations, archaeologists recovered clay pottery, as well as bones from many of the burials that occurred during the time of residence in Town Creek. The archaeological record discovered through the excavations of Town Creek are pertinent in understanding the history of the people that lived on the bank of the Little River before English settlement occurred because very little is known historically about these people. The history of Town Creek remains somewhat a mystery because all that is known about the people and the site is solely based off of the excavations that occurred performed during the 20th century (NC

At Sutton Hoo in 1939, an ancient ship burial and treasure was found. In the article “Sutton Hoo and Europe, AD 300-1100” from the British Museum website, it explains the Sutton Hoo find and its significance to archaeology: “The Sutton Hoo ship burial provides remarkable insights into early Anglo-Saxon England. It reveals a place of exquisite craftsmanship and extensive international connections, spanning Europe and beyond. It also shows that the world of great halls, glittering treasures and formidable warriors described in Anglo-Saxon poetry was not a myth” (“Sutton Hoo”). The Sutton Hoo find is very important in the understanding of the Anglo Saxon culture. The ship burial at Sutton Hoo, also known as

Sutton Hoo is the site of two cemeteries of the sixth and seventh centuries. Sutton Hoo was discovered in 1939 and is the most important link to the Anglo Saxon world. On the Sutton Hoo burial site, there are approximately 20 burial mounds formed between 625 and 670 AD. As Thomas Robjent says in his article The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: A General Background and Source List, “Along with the ship-burial, many impressive artifacts were found within mound one. The list of artifacts and treasure from this mound is as follows: An iron standard, a sceptre, spears, an iron-bound wooden bucket, a bronze bowl, a hanging bowl containing the remains of a musical instrument, drinking horns, a shield, a helmet, a sword, the iron head of an axe, the remains

The Sutton Hoo burial site, long ago, served as a resting place for upper class citizens. Although relatively few people were actually laid to rest there, the site held enough prominence to be mentioned in works such as Beowulf . Today, Sutton Hoo is regarded as an important, archaeological discovery, unveiling many artifacts and clues to the culture and art of not only the Anglo-Saxons, but groups, such as the Celts as well. The findings are numerous and relatively independent of each other with one grave holding the richest amount of relics and hints to the past.

Sutton Hoo is, essentially, a very large graveyard near the North Sea and river Deben. The two graves there date back to the 6th and 7th centuries, both containing a large number of historical artifacts. One of the graves was a ship burial, and most of the wealth and artifacts found from it are currently in The British Museum. It is highly guessed that the ship was the grave of Rædwald, ruler of the East Angles. This site is very important to historians because it helps to shed light on an area of English history that is unclear whether it's myth, or fact. Some of the artifacts they found in the burial chamber were:  a suite of metalwork dress fittings in gold and gems, a ceremonial helmet, shield and sword, a lyre, and silver plate. The second

Object 139443 is an anatomical votive (Appendix 1) and is currently part of the collection of the British Museum (British Museum, 2016). It is a life-sized replica of a right hand, cast out of bronze, and has a six-line dedicatory inscription carved into it post-casting. The inscription is indicative that its intended use was as a votive offering to the god Ta’lab Riyam (Appendix 1). The language used in the inscription is Sabaic. Traditionally, this was the language of the Sabaean kingdom (Stevenson, 2002). Currently, it is on tour with the ‘History of the World in 100 Objects’ exhibit (British Museum, 2016). At the time this object analysis was written, the tour was at the National Museum of Western Australia. The hand originates in South

Baptism was a Christian ceremony and, therefore, hints that Anglo-Saxons were possibly followers of Christianity. This reveals great details about the human culture of the Anglo-Saxon civilisation. Furthermore, various artefacts found in a different burial mound had similarities with those found in the ship burial. The association of the contents of the two different graves proves a kinship connection existed during the Anglo-Saxon times. The existence of a sturdy and carefully crafted sword, shield, and the Sutton Hoo helmet, all made of metal, signifies that the Anglo-Saxons had access to fairly advanced technology, to be able to construct metal weapons instead of stone. These artefacts also show that war or fighting may have been a prevalent occurrence at the time. Archaeologists excavating Mound Fourteen had deduced that it was the grave of a woman and contained exceptionally high-quality goods, including several silver buckles, and a silver kidney-shaped purse lid. Although the possessions are not as prestige as the one found in the ship burial, which was most likely for a king, it

First, the reading passage holds the view tha, the location where this coin is discovered is very far from other sites documenting the Norse presence. In contrast, the lecture brings up the idea that, great distance is not a reasonable for lack of the coin and thenorth people are intrest in travel within America and to some other places where are far away to their location. in these travels they brought some other objects to the mainland.

One way that Sutton Hoo improved people’s understanding is that it validated some of the cultural descriptions and practices found within Beowulf. Before the discovery of Sutton Hoo people often wrote the poem off as a fanciful tale however “the rich gold treasure from Sutton Hoo brought the immediate recognition that descriptions of lavish burials and gold-adorned armour in Beowulf could no longer be dismissed as poetic exaggeration or folk memories of an age of gold before the Anglo-Saxons came to England” (Cramp 57). Because of the finding of the cenotaph people began to reguard Beowulf as a historical reference. However, some negative effects also stem from the assumed connection between the two. With the discovery of the artifacts people began to translate the poem into modern lanuages differently, adding more descriptions of precious metals and wealth that the text does not directly suggest. For example, “In a passage describing burial treasure from far-off lands, the translator’s words ‘bright gold and silver’ fit Sutton Hoo...but it is alien to Beowulf” (Frank 55). This is where the historical evidence of both the text and the site can limit or change the understanding of the time period in untrue or unprovable

Years ago, in 1939, several fascinating, Anglo-Saxon objects were unearthed in Suffolk, England, on land owned by Edith Pretty. There were several ancient burial mounds on her property, and she wanted them to be searched. When investigated, a fossil of a ship was found, and within it several discoveries were made (The Sutton Hoo). It has been said that the objects found belonged to the Anglo-Saxon king, Raedwald. However, who these objects belonged to is a widely debated question, and will never be definitely known, for there were never any bodies found upon the ship. Among the royal treasures found was the Sutton Hoo helmet, which has been widely discussed and studied. Another object found in the search was the Sutton Hoo whetstone sceptre.

Throughout the Bronze Age people were buried in Great Britain. A new study finds that the close inspection of their bones indicate date between 4,200 and 2,750 years ago and the bodies were intentionally mummified.

Daphne D.C Pochin Mould, BSc. Phd (1976), “The Monasteries of Ireland” B.T Batsford Limited, London

Important discoveries concerning maritime trade was learned through the analysis of amphora found in Vault 1 of area C (Blakely 1988). This article not only focused upon a specific amphora that of Amphora Class 48/49 (Peacock and Williams 1986 p. 196-99) but also other Palestinian and imported amphorae found in the vault. Through the analysis of Class 48/49 information such as where the pottery was made and what goods they were transporting was learned. By studying the minerals found in the fabric of two of the sherds it was discovered that sherd 6.2 was formed in the Avdat region of the Negev (Blackely 1988, p. 38) while sherd 6.3, because of the amount of heavy metals found within identified the amphora as being made in Gaza or the Western Negev (Blackely 1988, p. 38). Coupled with the knowledge that very few examples of Amphora Class 48/49 were found inland while many examples were found in Caesarea, archaeologists theorized that the vessels arrived from the sea via Gaza avoiding any overland travel. In the article it is pointed out the dating for the vessel types is debated. Dates range from the third to the sixth, centuries. Of the Palestinian pottery, the analysis shows they might have contained water or wine, however, no evidence of oil was found (Blackely 1988, p. 39). One of the more common imported Amphora from vault 1 was the Rhodian Amphora (Blackely 1988, p. 41) and they were thought to have carried wine. Because of the large number of imported amphorae identified, the archaeologists hypothesised that the function of the vault was primarily that of a storage facility for international goods. After the contents of the amphora where analysed it became apparent that their purpose was not to transport only one product rather residue from two or more goods was found (Blackely 1988, p. 42). Another key piece of evidence identified was the

For this reason, simply studying the serpopard seal would not be enough, rather, it can be used as a specific example while cylinder seals in general are discussed. They provide a broad and varied insight into the lives of ancient peoples in a significant way, especially considering their small stature. Used as a personal object of identification and agreement, cylinder seals quickly began to present some of the earliest forms of cuneiform and writing. An individual’s name would often be engraved into the seal so that when it was rolled on clay, an agreement was made official, such as the written ink signature so prevalent in legal transactions of the modern world. This is not seen as the previously mentioned serpopard seal, but not all seals would have been used for this purpose specifically. Ones that were, and therefore showcase identifying marks of the individual, are distinctly connected to the persons to whom they belonged. This becomes particularly useful in the modern discovery and excavation of pit graves, early rectangular pits that contain a body and objects of significance, depending on

Stone circles are found all around the United Kingdom. These structures vary in size and meaning, but are usually regarded as being sacred. Many theories have been crafted over time concerning stone circles, however, their true known origins and uses are vague and open for interpretation, which makes them a complex topic to discuss and research. By looking at stone circles throughout the United Kingdom and examining the ways in which they connect to folktales, cultural practices, and current ideas, we are able to draw information regarding their importance and expand our understanding of a significant part of Britain and Ireland’s ancient material culture.