Beowulf A heroic poem, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. Preserved in a single manuscript dated roughly to 1000, it deals with events of the early 6th century and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750.

Swedes Geats Danes Heorot

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is a burial ground dating from the early 7th century AD, and was probably the main burial ground of the pagan Kings of East Anglia. There was also a prehistoric settlement there of the Beaker period (c. 2000BC).

Sutton Hoo provides: a context for the use of archaeological evidence and literature in the study of history an aspect of in-depth study of Anglo-Saxon England changes in archaeological methodology In terms of broader understanding, the development of, for example, concepts such as kingship and power structures in the pre-Conquest period

Mound 11 (front left), Mound 10 (foreground, masking Mound 1), Mound 2 (middle distance) and Sutton Hoo House, coach house and stables: looking north.

Sutton Hoo from the Deben tideway (Mound 2 visible on the horizon above the farm).

One of the Sutton Hoo burial mounds One of the Sutton Hoo burial mounds. This picture, taken during the Summer Solstice sunset on June 21, 2006, shows Mound 2 which is the only one of the Sutton Hoo mounds to have been reconstructed to its supposed original height

The initial excavation, August 1939

Ship Although practically none of the original timber survived, the excavated form of the ship in Mound 1 presented a very perfect image in 1939. A stain in the sand had replaced the wood but had preserved many details of the construction, and nearly all of the iron planking rivets remained in their original places. Hence it was possible to survey and describe what was merely a ghost of the original ship. It was about 27 m (c 90 feet) long, pointed at either end with tall rising stem and stern posts, widening to about 4.4 m (c 14 feet) in the beam amidship with an inboard depth of about 1.5 m (c 4 ft 10 ins) over the keel line.

Ghost image of ship revealed during initial excavation, August or September 1939.

The Mound 1 ship, the largest known from NW Europe before 1000 AD, was rowed, but would also have been sailed. The shallow draft suited the shallow estuaries of the East Anglian coast. They make it clear that the Anglo-Saxons were experienced sailors, who used the sea and the estuaries as major route-ways for trade both coastwise and overseas. A half-scale replica of the Mound 1 ship has been sailed successfully on the R. Deben, adding important practical knowledge to the archaeological evidence

Model of the 1939 find (chamber area outlined)

Sutton Hoo ceremonial helmet (British Museum- restored). Although similar to Late Roman 'ridge-helmets' in construction, its decoration has immediate parallels in those of contemporary Vendel Age helmets from eastern Sweden.

The shield-fittings (reassembled )

Reproduction of the lyre by Messrs Dolmetsch.

Together with the sword harness and scabbard mounts, the gold and garnet objects found in the upper body space are among the true wonders of Sutton Hoo. Their artistic and technical quality is quite exceptional. They form a coordinated ensemble thought to have been produced for this wearer as patron.

Each shoulder-clasp consists of two matching curved halves, hinged upon a long removable chained pin. The surfaces display panels of interlocking stepped garnets and chequer millefiori insets, surrounded by interlaced ornament of Germanic Style II ribbon animals. The half-round clasp ends contain garnet-work of interlocking boars with filigree surrounds. On the underside of the mounts are lugs for attachment to a stiff leather cuirass. The function of the clasps is to hold together the front and back halves of such armour so that it can fit the torso closely in the Roman manner. The cuirass itself, possibly worn in the grave, did not survive. No other Anglo-Saxon cuirass clasps are known.

The 'great' gold buckle is made in three parts The 'great' gold buckle is made in three parts. The plate is a long ovoid (egg-shape) of meandering but symmetrical outline with densely interwoven and interpenetrating Style II ribbon animals rendered in chip-carving on the front. The gold surfaces are punched to receive niello detail. The plate is hollow and has a hinged back, forming a secret chamber possibly for a relic. Both the tongue-plate and hoop are solid, ornamented, and expertly engineered.

The purse, with ornamental lid covering a lost leather pouch, hung from the waist-belt. The lid consists of a kidney-shaped cellwork frame enclosing a sheet of horn, on which were mounted pairs of exquisite garnet cellwork plaques depicting predatory birds, wolves devouring men, geometric motifs, and a double panel showing horses or animals with interlaced extremities. The maker derived these images from the ornament of the Swedish-style helmets and shield-mounts. In his work they are transferred into the cellwork medium with dazzling technical and artistic virtuosity.

Purse Lid. British Museum

Sutton Hoo ceremonial helmet… its decoration has immediate parallels in those of contemporary Vendel Age helmets from eastern Sweden. Vendel is a parish in the Swedish province of Uppland. The village overlooks a long inland stretch of water, Vendelsjön, near which the Vendel river has its confluence with the river Fyris.

At Husby near Vendel there is a large mound which local tradition calls Ottarshögen (the mound of Ohthere, associated with the person of that name in the epic Beowulf.

The shield from Grave 12 at Vendel is also very comparable to the Sutton Hoo shield, and has a stamped metal strip mount which is actually die-linked to an equivalent piece at Sutton Hoo. These graves date between the later 6th to 8th centuries.

Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (c)1995 Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (c)1995. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster. Sutton Hoo Society Information for Schools- suttonhoo.org/ http://www.suttonhoo.org/archeology.asp

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