Raedwald was the greatest of the Wuffinga kings, and it is generally accepted that he was buried in a pagan ship burial at Sutton Hoo, in great splendour.
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| This ceremonial helmet is one of the most important finds from Sutton Hoo. |
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| Replica of the helmet from the Sutton Hoo |
During the early 1930's Edith Pretty a landowner in Suffolk reported that she had seen ghostlike figures of Saxon warriors dancing on mounds near her home. She was so taken aback by her supernatural encounter (which she believed to be an ‘omen’ or ‘sign’) she decided to sponsor a thorough archaeological investigation of the area.
In May 1939 Basil Brown the leading archaeologist from Ipswich Corporation Museum and his team were authorized to carry out the work on mound one.
What followed next as a result of these excavations was the discovery of the Sutton Hoo ship burial containing many precious items of outstanding beauty and craftsmanship. This collection of priceless Anglo-Saxon artifacts has become Britain’s favorite national treasure.
SUTTON HOO SHIELD
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| The shield-fittings reassembled |