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No.48 - July 2001 | Contex HOME RECENT
EXCAVATIONS AT SUTTON HOO A field of low mounds on a country estate of in SE Suffolk was the setting in 1938/9 for Britain’s most sensational archaeological discovery. At Sutton Hoo was found the intact ship burial of a 7th Century dynast, whom many believe to have been King Raedwald of the East Angles, who was also Bretwalda or over-king of the emergent Saxon kingdoms. The wealth, craftsmanship and sophistication of the objects buried with the king were a revelation to those who believed the Saxons to be a primitive and barbarous people and they are still one of the chief attractions of the British Museum, John Newman of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service told our May meeting. Since that time archaeologists and historians have been trying to discover more about the context in which the royal ship burial and barrow cemetery belong. The region was one of the first to be settled by germanic newcomers from the mid 5th Century onward. By the 7th Century an East Anglian kingdom had been created under a dynasty called the Wuffingas, who had a royal centre not far from Sutton Hoo at Rendlesham, mentioned by Bede, and other known sites at Snape and Walton Castle at Felixstowe. There had been a number of post-war excavations at Sutton Hoo, which have revealed, among other things, a prehistoric settlement in the area and one more relatively intact high status Saxon burial, but until recently there had been little sign of the early ‘folk cemetery’ that might be expected to predate the royal barrows. The estate is now owned by the National Trust who wanted to establish a visitors’ centre and car park near Tranmer House (formerly Sutton Hoo House) some 500m north of the royal cemetery. Initial archaeological evaluation in 1997 revealed little apart from prehistoric ditches and modern garden features. It was then decided to proceed with a ‘controlled soil strip’ over the whole 8000 sq.m area, followed by excavation of all the features found by the SCCAS in 1998-2000 with our Speaker as Project Manager. The first six weeks yielded little except broken flower-pots, tree stumps and the odd gin bottle. But the team took heart from noting that although some archaeological deposits had been lost through former agricultural use, the destruction was not as great as that caused by modern farm machinery on arable fields across East Anglia. Then came the discovery of a ring ditch, 3m across, with fragments of a cremation urn in the centre. It gradually became clear that an early Saxon cemetery with both inhumation and cremation burials had been discovered. A variety of burial practices were followed, but the ring ditches were of special interest. In all some 9 ring ditches and 18 cremation burials were identified. Ring ditches around cremation deposits are rarely found in England, but better known in the Saxon’s homeland. It is thought they were dug to make marker mounds that have since disappeared, this practice being developed on a larger scale in the royal cemetery. Some contained pyre debris, although no actual pyre site was identified. Some of the cremations were buried in hand-make pots, others had no urn and were presumably deposited in a perishable container. Of especially note were four cremations surrounding another in a copper alloy hanging bowl of Celtic origin, which was lifted intact and is still being investigated by the British Museum. Intriguingly, each of the satellite cremations also had a small fragment of copper alloy, perhaps indicating a ritual connection to the originally burial. Cremated bone survives in Sutton Hoo’s acid soil, whereas the skeletons in the 19 newly discovered inhumation burials could generally only be identified by soil stains. However when carefully excavated these can reveal the position of the body and made for some eerie photographs. Once again variation in funerary practice was noticed, in the presence or absence of a coffin and in the grave goods left with the deceased. Thirteen of the inhumation burials had weapons, commonly a shield, spear or knife, although two had swords and high quality gilded shield fittings indicating the deceased belonged to the upper end of society. Only two women’s graves were positively identified from their beads and brooches, while some individuals were buried in a flexed position, with minimal grave goods, perhaps through poverty or following more ancient indigenous ritual. Although post excavation analysis is still at an early stage, it is thought that the Tranmer House cemetery is of 6-7th date, its use preceding and perhaps overlapping that of the royal area. It is likely to extend outside the recent excavations, as a fine copper alloy bucket of eastern Mediterranean origin with a lion hunting scene, and other finds indicating burials have been found on adjacent farm land. The graves were generally orientated east/west, but with no obvious indications of planning, although a Bronze Age barrow and large Iron Age ditch may have influenced the position of some graves. It may be significant that both Sutton Hoo cemeteries occupy spurs of land overlooking the River Deben and so could be seen as part of the same ritual landscape . A picture is emerging of a society that was developing increasing difference in status and wealth among its members, with some rising to become local or regional rulers, depending on their ability to seize and hold power, rather than hereditary right. This pattern had been seen elsewhere in East Anglian territory, notably at Snape, when the only previously known English ship burial was found under a mound in a ‘folk cemetery’, and in the cemetery excavated by the SCCAS at RAF Lakenheath, which climaxed in the discovery of a warrior buried with his horse, who may have been a sub-king of that area. The Sutton Hoo king is still unique in the richness of his burial, but he should no longer to seen in splendid isolation at the dawn of English history. NB. Sutton Hoo is currently open to visitors for guided tours at weekends and bank holidays. It is east of Woodbridge, 1 mile up a signposted footpath. Until vehicle access is possible readers may prefer to visit the Sutton Hoo Society’s excellent website at www.suttonhoo.org |
