A 1,400-year-old burial ground containing the graves of two elite people and a horse was discovered in the United Kingdom. The graves date back to Anglo-Saxon times.
Archaeologists from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology found at least 11 burial mounds. They were conducting excavations before the construction of a nuclear power plant near the village of Sizewell in the eastern English district of Suffolk.
The site has acidic soil, which tends to eat away at bone. Despite this, the team still managed to find the outlines of skeletons in two graves.
One grave contained a horse, while the other held two people. The discoveries are known as sand burials since the bodies looked like they were made out of sand. The researchers also uncovered grave goods.
“The horse was buried with its tack still on its head and shoulders that comprised of copper alloy decoration and a probable iron bit in its mouth,” said Maria Bellissimo, a spokesperson at Oxford Cotswold Archaeology.
The two individuals were laid to rest with a spear, a sword, two shields, an iron-banded bucket, and a copper and silver vessel.
The research team was unable to tell the age or gender of the two people, but they both appeared to be fully grown adults. Evidence shows that they were likely buried at the same time, so it’s likely that they also died at the same time.
The cause of their deaths is unknown as well. The researchers think the horse was sacrificed to be buried with its owners. The graves date back to approximately the sixth or seventh century A.D.
During this time, England was divided into multiple kingdoms. The weaponry and the copper and silver items found within the grave indicate that the two individuals belonged to the elite.
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The archaeologists made additional discoveries during the excavation, including a hoard of over 300 silver coins. The money was concealed in lead and cloth and dates back to the 11th century.
It is believed that a local community member buried the coins as a “savings pot” during a time of unrest.
Experts also identified a pottery kiln from the Roman period, an oak ladder from the Iron Age, the remains of settlements from the Bronze Age, and several ovens from medieval times.
Overall, the new findings have helped provide more information about the people who lived in the area centuries ago.
“Discoveries like this are of national importance because they deepen our understanding of power, belief, and identity in early medieval England, and how those ideas were expressed along the East Anglian coast,” said Len Middleton, the leader of the excavation.
The researchers are still studying everything they’ve excavated so far. Security measures have remained in place across the site.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
