Posted on 02/09/2004 4:25:46 PM PST by yankeedame
Last Updated: Thursday, 5 February, 2004, 13:09 GMT
Burial chamber's secrets revealed
More details are being released of a Saxon burial chamber unearthed in Essex.
The 12-feet-wide, five-feet-high wood-lined chamber - dating from the 7th Century - was crammed with gold coins and ornaments.
But the remains of the ancient king have dissolved and experts have not yet been able to identify him.
The find in Prittlewell, Southend, is being hailed as a major discovery.
Some experts have likened the discovery to the find in 1939 of a Saxon burial ship in Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, one of Britain's most important archaeological sites.
The find in Prittlewell, Southend, is being hailed as a major discovery.
> Hidden treasures of Saxon burial chamber
"An artist's impression of the inside of a Saxon king's burial chamber found in Southend, Essex. Experts say it gives a glimpse into the lives of the super-rich of the Dark Ages"
The site was filled with everything a king needed in the afterlife, from his sword and shield to copper bowls, glass vessels and treasures
Two pairs of coloured glass vessels were found by archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology Service
A gold coin found during the excavation dates back to the 6th or 7th century
Inside the chamber, which would have been lined with wood, were two tiny gold foil crosses about 30mm in length
A gold belt buckle dating from about 600-640
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Oh, and I was delighted to discover that Jackson had the Rohirrim speaking Anglo-Saxon in the films ("Wæs þu Aragorn hal." [Be you well, Aragorn]-- Eowyn, RoTK). I'm still translating Eowyn's dirge for Theodred in the extended edition of The Two Towers (it's a lot harder in lyrical form... plus I'm out of practice. Not much call for the Old English nowadays)...
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Note: this topic is from 2004. |
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