The Lookout
Noah Edwards
Ship of the Dead: Insight into Anglo-Saxon Culture and Seafaring at Sutton Hoo Noah Edwards
Introduction In the east of England, on the River Deben, in the county of Suffolk, one of the United Kingdom’s most important archaeological sites was found in the year 1939. The name of the site is Sutton Hoo, which is derived from the Old English words sut and tun meaning “south farmstead or village” and the Old English word hoh which “describes a hill shaped like a heel spur” (Stanford University). Contained within the site were the remains of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial dating from the early AD 600s. There is no definite answer as to what important person was buried within the ship, only theories. Though little is known about the person entombed within, the artifacts that were left with them on their journey into the afterlife can help construct a better understanding of a time and place with few historical sources to help identify the deceased or understand their way of life. The artifacts provide tremendous insight into the culture of the Anglo-Saxons of the seventh century. Much of what was discovered, while still supplying a greater understanding of the society as a whole, is the stuff of kings. Despite receiving less attention, the ship that was found can help to put into greater context other artifacts discovered within the site. As people have come to realize the importance of the ship, 27
projects have been launched to build working models in an attempt to further understand Anglo-Saxon maritime transportation and how it may have linked them to the larger world.
Discovery and Excavation The process of excavation that led to the discoveries of what lay under the mounds at Sutton Hoo began with the curiosity of a woman by the name of Edith Pretty. Travels earlier in her life had sparked an interest in archaeology and after the death of her husband, Pretty began to develop an interest in the mounds that were dispersed around the estate on which she lived at Sutton Hoo. In 1938, Pretty took it upon herself to contact the curator of the Ipswich Corporation Museum in order to seek out someone to conduct a professional excavation of the mounds. The person that was recommended was the archaeologist Basil Brown (Nelson 2019). Basil began the excavation with the help of Pretty’s gardener and gamekeeper. Basil’s initial excavation revealed the indent left by the long rotted away wood of the ship, attracting the attention of authorities and other academics; one of these academics,
