Tag: Burial
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Ibn Fadlan and the Rus
What can the writings of a traveller of the Caliphate tell us about the Rus, an elusive and largely invisible set of ‘Viking’ settlers in the east of Europe? Is his account to be taken seriously, or is it essentially a work of fiction? #ComissionsEarned (This post includes Amazon Affiliate links) – As an Amazon…
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Snape – England’s Other Ship Burial
Ship burials in England are a very infrequent occurrence. Unlike their frequency in Scandinavian, especially at Old Upsala, there are only really two major sites in England. Both, interestingly, are located in East Anglia. The two ship burials at Sutton Hoo is by far the most famous examples, one of which may well represent the…
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Westfield Farm – a High-status ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Female Burial
We hear an awful lot about the large-scale male ‘Princely’ burial of the early seventh century. Sutton Hoo, Snape, and Prittlewell dominate the narrative on richly furnished burials. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are some incredibly archaeologically significant sites, and have important things to say about power and status. But by focusing in on…
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‘Anglo-Saxon’ Boat Burials – Why?
The burial at Sutton Hoo Mound 1 is England’s most famous archaeological site, and contains a body buried in a magnificent ship. But why would the ‘Anglo-Saxons’ have buried their dead in ships – what social, religious and economic significance might they have ascribed to this rare but spectacular form of burial? I remember the…