Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo is a significant Anglo-Saxon cemetery located in Suffolk, England, known for its remarkable burial mounds and rich archaeological finds. The site features at least twenty mound burials and over forty additional burials without mounds, with its most famous excavation occurring in 1939. This excavation, led by Basil Brown, uncovered a ship burial (Mound I) that contained an array of treasures, although no human remains were found. The artifacts retrieved include intricate metalwork such as clasps, a helmet, and a variety of bowls, reflecting the craftsmanship and artistic influences of the time, including connections to Germanic, Celtic, and Scandinavian styles. Some objects, like a purse with Merovingian gold coins and silver items bearing Byzantine inscriptions, indicate trade links with continental Europe. While the identity of the buried individual remains uncertain, many scholars suggest that it may have been an East Anglian king from the early seventh century. Sutton Hoo offers valuable insights into the cultural and historical context of early medieval England and its interactions with neighboring regions.
On this Page
Sutton Hoo
Related civilizations: Anglo-Saxons, Celts, Scandinavia.
Date: c. 610-640 c.e.
Locale: Suffolk, England
Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon cemetery with at least twenty mound burials and more than forty burials without mounds. Its fame rests on the Mound I burial excavated by Basil Brown in 1939. It was a ship burial, as shown by outlines of the wooden boards and the remaining iron rivets. No human remains were found, but the ship contained an extensive treasure, suggesting that it was a royal burial.
Many of the objects were metalwork such as clasps, a buckle, hanging bowls, and a helmet. Much of the metalwork was made by local craftspeople, but the designs and techniques demonstrate acquaintance with Germanic, Celtic, and Scandinavian art. Other pieces point to connections with the Continent and Byzantium, including a purse with Merovingian gold coins, a silver salver bearing stamps of Emperor Anastasius I (491-518 c.e.), and silver bowls and spoons that had some Greek inscriptions. The identity of the person that the burial commemorates is uncertain, but it is probably an East Anglian king of the first half of the seventh century c.e.
Bibliography
Carver, Martin, ed. The Age of Sutton Hoo. Rochester, N.Y.: Boydell Press, 1992.
Evans, Angela C. The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial. London: British Museum, 1986.
Farrell, Robert T., and Carol Neuman de Vegvar, eds. The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: Fifty Years After. Oxford, Ohio: American Early Medieval Studies, 1992.