Gold buckle found at the site
An archaeological excavation by the Museum of London Archaeology Service at Priory Crescent, Prittlewell, Essex in autumn 2003 unearthed a 7th century grave that is perhaps the most spectacular discovery of its kind made during the past 50 years - the grave is probably that of an Anglo-Saxon King of Essex. The range and combination of objects and how they were placed in the grave to create a setting for the dead king is unique. Weapons, equipment for feasting and personal possessions were found. The coffin contained items that had been placed on the body as part of the burial ritual. These included two small gold foil crosses, two gold coins and a gold belt buckle. The survival of the chamber and its contents is due to the mound above the grave collapsing into the open chamber as the roof timbers decayed. However, the high acidity of the sand filling the burial chamber has meant that no trace of a body survived. The objects in the grave such as the sword suggest it was almost certainly that of a man. The contents of the burial chamber, down to the 'king's' shoe buckles (above) were still in place. The finds will be on show in London and Southend for the next few weeks.
The artist's reconstruction of the tomb, below, contains links to some of the finds.
Raysan's reconstruction of the burial chamber
Image ? Raysan Al-Kubaisi
The Prittlewell prince
In October 2003 the Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS) began an archaeological investigation at Prittlewell in south-east Essex. The work was part of a proposed road improvement on the site of a known Anglo-Saxon cemetery. Within a short time the archaeologists had discovered a burial that was clearly extraordinary. The size of the grave and the quality and quantity of the objects buried there, left little doubt that this was a rare example of a princely burial of the 7th century AD. The fact that the grave was previously undisturbed made it even more significant. It is arguably the most important Anglo-Saxon burial found since the 1939 discovery of the great ship burial at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk.
The discoveries continue
Laboratory work on the excavated material continues to shed light on the burial, including revealing previously unrecognised finds like an iron lamp.
View of the site during excavation
The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Prittlewell is located on the northern outskirts of Southend, in south-east Essex. The site is on rising ground to the east of the Prittle Brook, a stream which flows into the Roach estuary c 2.5km to the north. The area is known to have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Because of the potential for archaeological discoveries here, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council asked MoLAS to carry out a preliminary evaluation ahead of a potential road-widening scheme. The results were far more startling than anyone could have predicted.
MoLAS carried out its evaluation in nine weeks between the 22nd October and the 23rd December 2003. Three trenches were opened up, the largest of which was c 20m x 7m. Geophysical investigation (comprising both magnetometer and resistivity surveys by Stratascan) was conducted on the remainder of the site - or at least those parts that didn't have trees and shrubs!
Early conclusions - who was it?
Many months of careful work are still required to decode the clues to the identity of the grave's occupant. Although the burial follows non-Christian traditions in the richness of the accompanying burial goods, there are several objects with specifically Christian associations. The clearest of these are the two gold foil crosses which had been laid on the body.
The first of the East Saxon kings to convert to Christianity is reputed to be Sabert through the intervention of his uncle, King Aethelbert of Kent, in AD 604. However, following his death in AD 616, his sons expelled the Christian missionaries, as part of a revolt against Kentish domination, and returned to their traditional pagan ways. It was not until AD 653 that his grandson Sigeberht `Sanctus? was persuaded to adopt Christianity by Northumbrian missionaries under St Cedd.
