November 30, 2023|Reports

“The Story Of Sutton Hoo” – Lyndon Plamer

We had an unexpected change of programme at the last minute on 28th November, as our speaker was ill – a disappointment, but we do hope to have her back next year if possible. We were very grateful indeed to Lyndon Palmer, who stepped in at a day’s notice to talk on Sutton Hoo to an audience of 59.

It was an excellent talk on the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial site. Some of you may have seen the 2021 film “The Dig” starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan all about the excavations, with added love interest too!

Lyndon gave us the background both to the dig and the original excavator, Basil Brown was a self-taught archaeologist, who left school aged 12. His theory about the importance of the site was dismissed by the professionals, until the burial of an entire long-ship was uncovered – almost certainly built to house the body of East Anglian King, Raedwald, who died in 624AD. The original ship finds are now in the British Museum, but you can see a replica on site with the other burials finds.

Lyndon finished by telling us to put 2025 in our diaries, when the Sutton Hoo Ship Company is hoping to launch a reconstructed vessel – quite a challenge!