1. Approaches to History: Archaeology Burials: Identity and Status

2. What can burials tell us about status and power in early medieval Europe? What determined social status? Gender, age-grades, descent, etc. – not profession or ‘class’ Early medieval social structure: written sources The importance of gift-giving and portable wealth in a non-monetised society

3. Earliest Frankish laws: the Lex Salica

4. Conspicuous consumption of surplus through gift-giving: The Staffordshire Hoard: c 7 th century

5. Conspicuous consumption of surplus: the Kingston brooch

7. Case Study I: The burial of Childeric I (Merovingian ‘king’, d. 481-2)

8. Stilicho, leader of the western Roman army: nb crossbow brooch

9. Childeric’s signet ring: ‘Childerici regis’, a ‘long-haired king’

10. Childeric: Romanitas

11. 5 th -century horse sacrifices near Childeric’s grave (St Brice, Tournai)

14. Early Anglo-Saxon ‘kingdoms’

15. Case Study II: Sutton Hoo, SE Suffolk (R. Deben)

16. Plan of the Sutton Hoo cemetery: 16 burial mounds (barrows)

17. The Sutton Hoo ship burial (Mound 1) under excavation, 1939

19. 3 symbolic categories of finds hold the key to ‘reading’ the status of ‘Mound 1 Man’ (Maybe Redwald d. 624-5?): Feasting and drinking equipment: symbolic of the provision of hospitality/gifts Roman/Byzantine objects & imitations: symbolic of ‘Romanitas’ Objects symbolizing international connections

20. Byzantine silver bowls: for washing?

21. Preparing the feast: the cauldron

22. The drinking horns

23. Sutton Hoo: the drinking set

24. The drinking set: The burr wood cups

25. Sutton Hoo: the ‘tub’

26. Sutton Hoo: reconstruction of the lyre

27. Gifts of gold: the great gold buckle

28. ‘Romanitas’: The ‘Coptic’ bowl from the Eastern mediterranean

29. The ‘Anastasius’ dish

30. The Sutton Hoo Helmet

31. Late Roman helmets

32. Mound 1 Man

33. 8 th -century genealogy of the East Anglian kings

34. International connections: the purse-lid, coins and blanks

35. The Sutton Hoo ship: links to the Svea region of Sweden (a link to the Wylfings?)

36. The Sutton Hoo ship: half-size replica

37. Case Study III: Late Saxon execution burials

38. Late Saxon Execution Burials placed near prehistoric/pagan Saxon burial mounds

39. Execution burials near boundaries