The tale of the burial’s discovery is no less dramatic. We now know that the mound cemetery containing the ship 5 Items . The most iconic object from the Sutton Hoo site, an incredibly rich and undisturbed ship burial of a wealthy Anglo Saxon individual - probably a king - dating from early 7th century East Anglia. We use cookies to make our website work more efficiently, to provide you with more personalised services or advertising to you, and to analyse traffic on our website. The British Museum and British Museum Shop use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience, to improve functionality and to make advertising relevant to you and your interests. as legends – they were reality, at least for the privileged few in early Anglo-Saxon To this day it is still one of the Museum’s ‘must-see’ objects for visitors from across the globe. Objects from the burial include a hoard of coins and intricately worked objects of gold, jewels, and leather. since its discovery. This gallery on the upper floor is devoted to Sutton Hoo and Europe, AD 300 to 1100. Los tesoros de Sutton Hoo lucen de nuevo El Museo Británico ha renovado la Sala 41, que incluye las excepcionales piezas halladas en el recinto funerario de Sutton Hoo, al este de Inglaterra When I was a first-year history undergraduate, I came to the British Museum on a field trip. But what is Sutton Hoo and why did it cast such a spell on me? The site of Sutton Hoo is run by the National Trust. The British Museum and British Museum Shop use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience, to improve functionality and to make advertising relevant to you and your interests. In simple terms, it is the grave of a Very Important Person who died in the early seventh century, during the Anglo-Saxon period. The objects unearthed in 1939 from an Anglo-Saxon ship-burial at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, rank among the most splendid treasures in the collection of the British Museum. poem Beowulf could no longer be read Inspired by Sutton Hoo; Inspired by Sutton Hoo. Sutton Hoo ship-burial helmet, 600/650, From the collection of: British Museum The Rosetta Stone , -196/-196, From the collection of: British Museum Hoa Hakananai'a , 1200/1200, From the collection of: British Museum For more information on how we use cookies and how to manage cookies, please follow the … bound to be a good one! An informative guide to the incredible treasures discovered at the Sutton Hoo archaeological site. The imagery of soaring timber halls, We use cookies to make our website work more efficiently, to provide you with more personalised services or advertising to you, and to analyse traffic on our website. There are two Sutton Hoo Helmets in Room 41, the original and a … Sutton Hoo lay within the kingdom of East Anglia (today the region of Suffolk and Norfolk), which was apparently pretty mighty when the burial took place. The Sutton Hoo helmet is a decorated and ornate Anglo-Saxon helmet found during a 1939 excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship-burial. At its heart was a burial chamber, the deceased’s final resting place, surrounded by eye-popping riches – gold dress accessories set with Sri Lankan garnets, silver vessels from distant Byzantium, fine feasting equipment, deluxe hanging bowls, luxurious woven textiles, a stag-topped whetstone carved with human faces. The British Museum Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, in Suffolk, England, is the site of two early medieval cemeteries that date from the 6th to 7th centuries. life Sutton Hoo helped to explode that myth forever. Sutton Hoo is a series of 6th-7th century burial mounds found in Suffolk, England. gleaming treasures, powerful kings and spectacular funerals in the Anglo-Saxon It reveals a place of exquisite craftsmanship and extensive international connections, spanning Europe and beyond. society. Great Russell Street Sutton Hoo - Anglo-Saxon England's greatest treasure. Sutton Hoo, estate near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that is the site of an early medieval burial ground that includes the grave or cenotaph of an Anglo-Saxon king. Brown’s own diary is a precious artefact in its own right, more like a scrapbook overflowing with stories, photographs, sketches, watercolours, newspaper clippings and pasted-in letters that leave no doubt of the impression this experience made upon him. The helmet is covered in complicated imagery, including fighting and dancing warriors, and fierce creatures. The British Museum in Great Russell Street, London. The The British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. Scholars believe Rædwald of East Angliato be the most likely the person buried in the ship. But calling it simply a ‘burial’ feels inadequate. An exclusively designed replica of the Sutton Hoo Helmet. Includes jewellery, coins, helmets and more. The Sutton Hoo ship-burial is on permanent display, year-round, in Room 41 at the British Museum. For ages 7—11 (KS2) students learn about the Sutton Hoo burial site and how it was excavated by archaeologists Digital session: Sutton Hoo headline | British Museum Skip to main content this very special burial over the next 80 years. There was also glittering war equipment including a pattern-welded sword, a massive decorated shield, a unique coat of mail armour and the iconic helmet with its enigmatic face formed by the body of a flame-winged dragon. The Sutton Hoo ship burial is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Find out more. Away from Suffolk, the British Museum in London houses many of the treasures in a dedicated gallery. These may represent gods or ancestors whose brooding presence may have symbolised or empowered the dynasty to which the dead man belonged. The Sutton Hoo ship burial provides remarkable insights into early Anglo-Saxon England. Sutton Hoo Ship Burial, c. 700 (British Museum, London). A small display of archival material relating to Sutton Hoo is now on display in Room 2, until September 2019, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its discovery. mention immense personal power and wealth. Sutton Hoo stock photo and image search. Everything discovered at the Sutton Hoo ship burial tells a story. beyond the Anglo-Saxon era. Examine some of the beautiful objects found in this famous ship burial, and see what the excavation site looked like. And my own study of the Sutton Hoo sword has convinced me that its owner was left-handed. What I saw that day changed the course of my life and set me on the path to becoming curator here at the Museum. It was, in fact, a spectacular funerary monument comprising a 27-metre-long ship beneath an earth mound nearly three metres high and 30 metres in diameter. It’s hard not to get excited when he relates his first glimpse of the gold treasures, which ‘shone in the sunshine as on the day they were buried’ (below). The Sutton Hoo Ship excavation 1939 (c) Trustees of the British Museum. Crucially, however, one had contained iron rivets, showing that the mound once covered a ship burial – so when Brown discovered more inside the largest mound, he realised what he was onto. will not be the end of the story. It’s no wonder that he’s thought to have been no less than a King of East Anglia, although his identity is lost to time like his bodily remains, claimed by the acidic local soil to leave only a human-shaped gap among the treasures within. Many ancient graves lie hidden in the grassy lands of Sutton Hoo, and one … View and buy royalty free and rights managed stock photos at The British Museum Images. The Anglo-Saxon period was brand new to me at the time – the only reason I knew of ‘Sutton Hoo’ and its fame was because a helmet that had been found there was on the front of my textbook. A small display of archival material relating to Sutton Hoo is now on display in Room 2, until September 2019, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its discovery. The site is important in understanding the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia and the early Angl… In 1939, with Britain on the brink of the Second World War, Sutton Hoo landowner Edith Pretty asked local archaeologist Basil Brown to excavate the largest of several burial mounds on her estate. Instead, there was a group of smaller warring kingdoms that would not coalesce into a single realm for another three centuries. WC1B 3DG. pretty corner of Suffolk embodied a society of remarkable artistic achievement, Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon ship burial from 620AD. The burial, one of the richest Germanic burials found in Europe, contained a ship fully equipped for the afterlife (but with no body) The iconic Sutton Hoo helmet was wrapped in cloth and laid near the left side of the dead person's head. Free admission Research on the Staffordshire Hoard, another gobsmacking Now is the perfect time to reflect on these questions, because this summer marks 80 years since this incredible discovery was first brought to light. This In August 1939, a coroner’s inquest ruled that the ship burial’s contents belonged to Mrs Pretty under the terms of the Treasure Trove law but, in an act of supreme generosity, she gifted it to the nation, which is how it entered the British Museum collection. a decline in civilisation, sophistication and cosmopolitanism in all areas of In 1939 a series of mounds at Sutton Hoo in England revealed their astounding contents: the remains of an Anglo-Saxon funerary ship and a huge cache of seventh-century royal treasure. New discoveries, modes of analysis and ways He’d dug adjacent mounds the previous year but found only fragments of Anglo-Saxon artefacts looted centuries before. This Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1939. Fridays until 20.30, The British Museum was only the beginning. A few miles from the Suffolk coast, the Sutton Hoo ship burial was one of the most exciting discoveries in British archaeology, and one that profoundly exploded the myth of the 'Dark Ages'. The invaluable Anglo-Saxon treasures that you could find in this museum came from the burial site of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Make no mistake – the person buried at Sutton Hoo was meant to be remembered. Sutton Hoo treasure display | The British Museum Images. This was a time before ‘England’ existed. It was buried around 625 and is widely believed to have belonged to King Rædwald of East Anglia ; its elaborate decoration may have given it a secondary function akin to a crown. Britain descended into the ‘Dark Ages’, when these islands supposedly experienced The dig was thrillingly documented in hundreds of photographs, drawings, film and first-hand accounts from those who were there. The Sutton Hoo ship-burial is on permanent display, year-round, in Room 41 at the British Museum. London WC1B 3DG qualities, using methods that can barely be fathomed. Only four complete Ango-Saxon helmets are known to date, and this is the most elaborate. Londres. Edith Pretty generously donated the finds to the museum in 1939, and those on view include the iconic helmet, a giant copy of which adorns the front of the visitor centre at Sutton Hoo. The Sutton Hoo sword was not restored from fragments - it was lifted as a solid but rusted unit. Sutton Hoo collection is significant for its sheer majesty alone, but its true At either end the stone is carved with sombre faces, each one different. Anglo-Saxon discovery made in 2009, revealed that the goldsmiths responsible View and buy royalty free and rights managed stock photos at The British Museum Images. To see a larger selection, enter a keyword search inside the search field above. The team will build the Saxon ship using authentic ship-building methods with the help of marine archaeologists, ship architects, shipwrights and experts in green wood working. 2099’s Sutton Hoo blog is Sutton Hoo was in the kingdom of East Anglia and the coin dates suggest that it may be the burial of King Raedwald, who died around 625. The goods discovered at Sutton Hoo are on display at the British Museum in London. Sue Brunning and her trusty foam sword (newly dubbed Flexcalibur by commentator Pipe2DevNull) are back for another sword story. 4 Minute Read Sue Brunning, curator at the British Museum, tells us about the famous Sutton Hoo Helmet, which can be found in Room 41 of the museum. for Sutton Hoo’s treasures could manipulate the material to enhance its The Sutton Hoo Helmet is one of the most important Anglo-Saxon finds of all time. Over the course of the summer, Brown and a growing team excavated the richest intact burial ever found in Europe. This characteristic may have made the person buried at Sutton Hoo even more singular in the community. The Sutton Hoo Helmet by HERBERT MARYON* HEN unpacked at the British Museum Laboratory, remains of the Sutton W Hoo helmet covered a good-sized table.They appeared to consist of a gilded bronze nose and mouth piece, two gilded bronze dragon heads, parts of what Room 41. The Exhibition Hall and Tranmer House is due to reopen in late summer 2019 following a major redevelopment but the estate, walks, Royal Burial Ground, shop and café are open to visitors. Previously it was thought that post-Roman On the Sutton Hoo sword these wear patterns are reversed – suggesting it was worn on the right side and carried in the left hand. Visitors can see finds from the site, and take a lovely walk through woodlands and along field boundaries to the burial mounds. Sutton Hoo’s spell has grown in power in the 80 years Great Russell St London It will be held at the National Trust's Sutton Hoo visitors centre, near the site of the burial mound in Suffolk said to belong to King Raedwald. This is just a taste of the images we have available on our site. A more proper description, based on the catalogue entry in Sutton Hoo, Volume I. p. 441, would read: pattern-welded iron blade rusted in an oxydised fur-lined wooden … The spectacular # SuttonHoo treasure was unearthed # onthisday in 1939 – one of the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made in the UK! 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. The site of Sutton Hoo is run by the National Trust. Open daily 10.00-17.30 Patterns of wear on Anglo-Saxon sword hilts often show us that the sword’s owner wore it at their left hip, enabling them to draw it across their body with their right hand. If I could go back in time, I’d go to that funeral. How did it come to the British Museum? significance lies in how it revolutionised our knowledge and appreciation of The first and also the largest mound, originally excavated in 1939 by Basil Brown, contained a 90-foot-long (27 m) ship, and is supposedly the burial site of Raedwald, the leader of the Wuffing dynasty.It was in this mound that archaeologists discovered the elaborately decorated purse-lid. The objects are comprised of multiple bronze, gold and silver objects of Anglo Saxon origin, found in Suffolk, England, including: a helmet, sceptre, sword, hanging bowl, bowls and spoons, shoulder clasps, a belt buckle, and purse lid. It's a piece of truly breathtaking artistry, functional and beautiful, with a vaulted cap and deep cheek-pieces. This single burial in a British Museum, Early Medieval, Sutton Hoo Marking the 75th anniversary of a watershed discovery In May 1939, Suffolk archaeologist Basil Brown made a discovery that would change perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England forever: a spectacular 7th-century ship burial, overlooking the River Deben at Sutton Hoo. In other recent discoveries, British Museum scientists found that black tarry lumps in the burial were actually pieces of bitumen that had originated beneath the hot Middle Eastern sun before they ended up beneath the damp, cool Suffolk earth. the era – and the people – that created it. Just take a moment to imagine the time, effort and workforce involved in realising this vision of eternal commemoration – dragging the ship up from the river below, digging the huge trench, manoeuvring the ship into it, cutting and preparing the trees for the chamber, building the chamber, dressing it with incredible finery and then raising the towering mound. Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Its design resembles Roman sceptres, owned by holders of high offices. burial was part of a wider landscape of human activity that reached back for millennia, The British Museum is famous for its huge collection of artifacts. complex belief systems and far-reaching international connections, not to United Kingdom, Sue Brunning, Curator of Early Medieval European Collections. For more information on how we use cookies and how to manage cookies, please follow the 'Read more' link, otherwise select 'Accept and close'. of thinking are sure to uncover even more exciting and mind-bending tales about Results/page: Sort By. Hoo ; inspired by Sutton Hoo ship-burial year-round, in Room 41 at the British Museum is famous for huge... Two million years of human history and culture and along field boundaries to the British Museum ’ s discovery no... 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