Just as an introduction, the Sutton Hoo ship burial find occurred in the 1950s (I think), purportedly the grave of an early seventh-century Anglo-Saxon king; some scholars believe he was Raedwald of the East Angles, who had the status of bretwalda (high king, if the office ever really existed) toward the end of his reign. From an archeological perspective, the find was a veritable treasure-trove. At the time of our visit to the British Museum, the permanent exhibit of Anglo-Saxon artifacts was undergoing renovation, but many of the more important pieces were still on display. The following is a small sample of the collection.
3 comments:
What is #5? I think I see hinges and a clasp, but I can't tell how big it is. Book cover? Box lid?
Also, we're laughing at the seemingly random decorations on the shield. "Well, I've got a few chokers and a Christmas ornament. Oh, hey! And this kris, which magically showed up on our side of the world." (I didn't know they were migratory.)
I'm pretty sure the hinges and clasp were for a purse made out of fabric or the like--the organic parts disintegrated, leaving the metal parts.
Don't ask me how archeologists or museum curators figure out what stuff might have looked like originally. It's an art as much as a science, I think.
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