Archaeologists discovered an Anglo-Saxon settlement thought to have been the original location of the precious treasures in the Sutton Hoo burial vessel.
In Rendlesham in Suffolk, the community of craftsmen was first discovered.
The site is just three miles from Sutton Hoo, described as the UK’s greatest archaeological discovery and portrayed in the hit Netflix film The Dig.
Evidence of workers involved in the iron smithing or production of copper alloy products can be found on Rendlesham’s site, as well as slag and melting metal fragments.
The 88ft burial vessel contained artifacts from iron and copper alloy. – including an ornate helmet believed to have provided protection in battle while also used as a crown.
The site is three miles from Sutton Hoo, described as the UK’s greatest archaeological discovery and portrayed in the hit Netflix film The Dig
Artefacts made from copper alloy and iron were found in the 88ft burial ship
The items may have belonged to East Anglia’s King Raedwald, who is widely thought to be the ruler buried in the ship in the 7th century AD.
A Suffolk County Council spokesman said those buried at Sutton Hoo would have ‘probably lived at Rendlesham’, adding: ‘There is also evidence of craft working at Rendlesham, so it is possible they may have produced some of the objects discovered in the Sutton Hoo burial grounds.’
In 1939, the Anglo-Saxons discovered the wreck of the ship. This changed British history.
In The Dig (released last year), Ralph Fiennes starred as Basil Brown, the archaeologist, who was hired by Edith Pretty to excavate burial munds.
Rendlesham also has a variety of artifacts such as spindle sherls, loomweights for spinning and weaving and dresses like a brooch or buckle made from copper alloy.
Pottery vessels were used for storage and cooking, as well as bones of butchered sheep, cattle and pigs. Excavations between 2008 and 2014 revealed that there were remnants of what might have been King Raedwald’s palace and other Anglo-Saxon rulers.
Much of the excavation was carried out by 150 volunteers – among them pupils of Rendlesham primary school and youngsters from the Suffolk Family Carers charity
Last year’s film The Dig featured Ralph Fiennes playing the role of Basil Brown, an archaeologist who finds the ship when Edith Pretty (played by Carey Mulligan) hires him to dig burial mounds.
The latest dig took place this year as the first phase of a four-year project backed by a £517,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. To discourage metal detectorists and treasure hunters, its exact location will be kept secret.
Much of the excavation was carried out by 150 volunteers – among them pupils of Rendlesham primary school and youngsters from the Suffolk Family Carers charity – under the guidance of Suffolk council’s archaeological service and Cotswold Archaeology Ltd.
Professor Chris Scull, the project’s principal academic adviser, said the area was the ‘power centre of the East Anglian kingdom’, adding: ‘Our excavation has unravelled some of the complexities of this internationally significant site and given us insights into the lives of the people whose farming and craft skills supported the early rulers of the East Anglian kingdom.’
Analyzing the find has been started, preliminary results of which are expected next spring.