Maps, Charts And Diagrams

his is the story of Sutton Hoo. An archaeological dig that had profound importance for our understanding of Saxon life and especially the respect they must have shown to their rulers when they eventually died. I do not intend to write prodigious amounts on this subject because there are many books and web sites that can recount it much better than I can. What I hope to achieve is to take you back in time with the aid of diagrams and maps of where Sutton Hoo is and how it possibly may have looked in those days. I have created some graphics that are from the actual artefacts found. The images are re-produced are slightly different as I have tried to recreate how they may have looked when new. I am still astounded by the complexity and beauty of some of the items. After reading and viewing this section, you may think differently about the Saxons as I now do.
 

What Is Sutton Hoo?

utton Hoo is a Saxon graveyard. It would be more accurate to call the area a gravefield. Having said this - and as will be explained later, the question of the purpose of the site leaves a few questions unanswered. The gravefield consists of at least fifteen mounds or barrows of differing sizes. Some barrows on the site are eroded and are really only evident from aerial photography. The extent of the gravefield has not yet been fully ascertained to any accuracy. It possible that others may exist. The graphic below gives some idea of what it may have looked like in the sixth or seventh centuries. This as we shall learn, correlates to the dating of the uncovered artefacts. The importance of the finds at Sutton Hoo is impossible to overestimate. It was one of the most significant finds of early Saxon occupation. This is the story of that excavation and the race against time before the outbreak of World War II. The treasure recovered and the techniques used to prove that the area was indeed a gravefield.
 

Where Is Sutton Hoo?

utton Hoo is in the English County of Suffolk, located on the eastern side of England in an area known today as East Anglia. The position of East Anglia is on the map below. Located approximately 12 Km north east of the town of Ipswich lays the gravefield now known as Sutton Hoo. The more detailed map shows the actual location with respect to the River Deben and is about 5 Km inland and east of the estuary.