On the eve of World War II in 1939, a buried Anglo-Saxon ship was found near the town of Woodbridge in southeast England. It was the last resting place for King Raedwald, whose body would be taken to a winding water tour on the Deben River, before his boat dragged a steep hill.
The discovery of burial sites greatly enhances our understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture. With the fall of Rome around 476 AD, the Saxons and other Nordic tribes settled in England, but until Sutton Hoo had no valuable archaeological evidence since then. Previously considered lack of civil infrastructure, engineering and trade, Anglo-Saxon UK proved to be culturally rich and complex as this is the theme of the 2021 Netflix movie Digging.
First, the ship’s rivets emerge from the ground, and then slowly emerged a treasure that included the helmet of King Redwald, all of which sheds an elaborate, knowledge and trade culture. The helmet is made of gold, silver, iron and copper alloys with beards and thick eyebrows that may reflect the king’s actual appearance.
On display, room 41
