For archaeologists, discovering an ancient historical site that has remained undisturbed for hundreds or thousands of years must be their greatest achievement. We only have to think of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt early in the twentieth century. It provided a wealth of new information about pharaohs and their burials. And so it was that in the late 1930s, at Sutton Hoo, close to Woodbridge in Suffolk, when an undisturbed burial site was uncovered.
Not only was it a splendorous discovery, but it also posed a mystery which has lasted to this day. It was in 1939, that the amateur archaeologist Basil Brown was examining a known Anglo-Saxon burial site dating from the sixth or seventh century. What was found was a longboat measuring almost 90 feet or 27 metres in length. Inside the boat were various treasures which included a warrior’s helmet, weapons, gold and gems as well as other artifacts.
But, there was something missing. If this was a burial site, then where was the body? Two theories have emerged to explain this. The first is that because the soil is acidic, it is possible the body has completely dissolved. There is evidence to back this up as traces of certain chemicals were found indicating that a body might have been here. The other theory is that it is a cenotaph in memory of a king or other important person.
So, who was buried here or was a memorial to? The favourite candidate is Raedwald, who was the King of the East Angles at this time. Other burial sites have been uncovered in the area but nothing that measures up to the longboat. Today, there is a Visitors Centre at the site and if you wish to view many of the treasures that were found, they are in the British Museum in London.
John Pullen 