A Light Shining Through the ‘Dark Ages’: The Sutton Hoo Burial Ground

In 1939, as Europe was on the brink of another World War, archaeologist Basil Brown was about to unearth something truly remarkable. The burial ground of an Anglo-Saxon king at Sutton Hoo. Edith Pretty had noticed a numeral of burial mounds on her property, Sutton Hoo estate and had employed Brown to excavate them. Brown discovered that the mounds had been previously disturbed in the 16th century. Fortunately, these looters had missed the jackpot.

As Brown carefully excavated these mounds he made the discovery of the century. This excavation would throw light onto the dark ages.

The Excavation

As Brown and his team dug, they uncovered an Anglo-Saxon grave. The grave good can be dated to the early 7th century. The finds were utterly astounding. They included: the impression of a now disintegrated wooden ship measuring some 90 feet in length with rivets still present. The remains of a wooden chamber. Although the chamber had disintegrated with time, the metallic treasures it once housed had survived. These included a helmet, a sword, a rod, a whetstone, spears, an axe, bowls and spoons, drinking horns, a gold buckle, a lyre, jewellery and a purse.

The one thing that was missing from this burial was a body. The question of whether a body had been buried alongside the goods was a puzzling one and hotly debated. Science settled the question when the British Museum undertook an investigation of the site in an effort to solve this conundrum in 1975. Soil samples taken in 1967 tested positive for residual phosphate. This chemical is left behind when a body, be that animal or human has decayed.

The conclusion of the British Museum’s investigation was that a body had been buried inside the boat alongside the jewellery and sword.

The Objects

Here follows a selection of some of the finds excavated at Sutton Hoo.

The Helmet

The significance of this find cannot be understated. This helmet is one of only 4 similar helmets discovered from this period. The helmet was not found intact. It lay in 500 pieces. The first reconstruction of the helmet took place in the 1940s and 1950s. A second reconstruction was deemed necessary in the 1970s and this is the latest reconstruction pictured above. As the helmet only existed in fragments, modern components were used to fill in some of the missing gaps. The smooth surfaces you see are these modern additions.

The helmet is dome-shaped and was probably made using one piece of metal. The shape is late Roman in style. The crest over the top of the head is a two-headed snake.

If you look closely, you will see that the helmet is designed to mimic a human face. A flying creature, perhaps a dragon form the nose, eyebrows and moustache. The eyebrows are finished with boars heads. The right side of the helmet was once made brighter by the use of foils. One popular theory is that this was deliberate. The helmet was a nod to Odin or Woden. He had one eye. He had sacrificed an eye in order to acquire wisdom. Perhaps the wearer sought to connect himself to this particular god.

The image above is a replica of how the helmet would have originally looked. As you can see, the helmet was elaborately decorated with a series of panels which include images. These images depict various patterns and warriors, some in battle, others dancing.

The Sword

This iron sword had been extremely well used. The decorative clips had also survived. The pummel of the sword is made from gold and beaded wire and the hilt is beautifully decorated with jewels.

One of the most interesting things about this sword is that it is a left-handed sword. It was found on the right side of where the body was thought to lie. This was where a left-handed person would have worn the sword in life. Furthermore, the wear on the hilt also supports this left-handed theory.

We are often told that left-handedness was a disadvantage in the past. Those who were left-handed were thought to be different or even evil in some way. The Sutton Hoo sword questions whether this stigma existed in Anglo-Saxon society. The person who was responsible for this burial made the decision to ensure the body remained left-handed even as he entered the afterlife. There are advantages to being left-handed in combat; an opponent would automatically expect their adversary to swing their sword with their right hand. By wielding the sword in one’s left hand, one could surprise their opponent which is an obvious advantage in a military situation.

The Purse

An ornamental purse lid was found amongst the grave goods. This purse lid would have covered a leather pouch. This would have been hung from a waist belt. There are a number of motifs on the purse lid, including depictions of wolves and birds.

The purse contained 37 gold shillings each had been minted at a different Frankish mint. One theory is these coins were intended to pay the oarsman in the afterlife, similar to Greek and Roman burial practices.

These coins allow us to extrapolate an approximate date for the burial. The latest coins were produced between c.620 and c.640. It is then assumed that the burial took place sometime between these dates.

Belt Buckle

The ‘Great Belt Buckle’ as it is commonly known was made in 3 parts. The gold plate is hollow allowing for a secret compartment. There is much speculation as to what this secret compartment was used for, perhaps money, or small pieces of jewellery, one possible theory is religious relics.

What Do The Grave Goods Tell Us?

We can extrapolate much information from the grave goods found at Sutton Hoo.

First of all, they are all incredibly luxurious items. This would suggest this was the resting place of a high-status person. Given the military nature of many of the items, it is assumed this was a male.

A number of these items had been imported from the continent, such as the coins. This shows Britain was not isolated following the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. Trade routes and other exchanges with the continent were a feature of this period. Some of the objects found were similar to objects found in Swedish graves from this period, such as the animals depicted on the purse lid. Similar depictions have been found on contemporaneous Swedish helmets and shield mounts. A large silver plate found in the grave was made in Byzantium around the year 500. It contains the stamps of Emperor Anastasius who ruled 491-518. This again shows either a connection with the Mediterranean or at least an interest in their goods. The Sutton Hoo burial site contains an unusual amount of silverware which originates from the Mediterranean region.

Interestingly, the grave goods might illustrate a mixture of pagan and Christian influences. For instance, close to the head of the occupant of the grave were placed two silver spoons. These are thought to have originated from Byzantium. One of the spoons bears the name Paulos, or Paul. The other reads Saulos, or Saul. These spoons are thus thought to be a reference to the Apostle who was named Saul prior to his baptism and Paul following it.

One popular theory is that these spoons were a baptismal gift to the individual in the grave. Yet the grave is not necessarily a Christian burial. There are elements of pagan traditions too. Such as the coins which may have been intended to be used in the afterlife. The military nature of the grave goods also leans towards a pagan burial. This mixture of pagan and Christian influence may be the result of the growing influence of Christianity in 7th Century Britain. The high-status inhabitants of Britain were forming a new identity based upon a mixture of traditional pagan and the new Christian religion.

The Dark Ages?

Significantly, collectively, these items shed light on the dark ages. Quite often the dark ages are perceived as a dark period in our past. A stagnant time, a period in which nothing beautiful could be created. The Sutton Hoo burial disputes this notion. The treasures found at this site indicate a period of creativity and an interest in the collection of exquisite objects. Far from a period of decay and dirth, the grave goods demonstrate excellent craftsmanship.

In recent years, scholars have moved away from using the term ‘the dark ages’ to describe early medieval Britain. I know using this term in my title might raise a few eyebrows. But I’m a firm believer in using these terms as a starting point for debate. Many non-academics still use the term dark ages. It is a commonplace term used to describe this period. Why should we completely erase terms and risk losing the interest or engagement of non-academics who take an interest in the past? As with lots of contentious terms, I prefer to use these words or phrases and then question their use.

Is the term dark ages really appropriate here? What terms would be more useful in describing this period?

Bibliography

D. Deliyannis, H. Dey, P. Squatriti, Fifty Early Medieval Things: Materials of Culture in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, (New York, 2019).

N. Higham, and M. J. Ryan, The Anglo-Saxon World, (London, 2013).

C. B. Kendall and P. S. Wells, Voyage to the Other World: The Legacy of Sutton Hoo, (Minneapolis, 1992).

M. Wood, In Search of the Dark Ages, (London, 2005).

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/death-and-memory/anglo-saxon-ship-burial-sutton-hoo

https://web.archive.org/web/20101216030235/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/w/who_was_buried_at_sutton_hoo.aspx

For similar posts, see my Medieval Category.