Anglo-Saxon Treasure Hoard in Staffordshire
February 3, 2012
Mrs Patey’s class used the internet today to research what was found at Sutton Hoo. Back in July 2009, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon artefacts ever to be found was discovered in a field near Hammerwich in Staffordshire.
Here is the helmet that was found in the ship grave at Sutton Hoo.
Was something like this found in Staffordshire?
Can you find out just one artefact from the Staffordshire hoard and write below what it is and what the archaeologists think it was used for?
If you do, then it will earn you a house point.
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Winchester House School : Year 4 Blog 
A purse lid made of gold and inlaid with ivory was found. The lid is covered in garnets (red jewels) and blue glass.
The jewels were used to create pictures of birds-of-prey attacking ducks and also wolves licking men’s faces. The East Anglian Royal family were called the Wuffingas. It means the ‘wolf-men’. This explains why wolves were on the purse lid.
The cloth purse had rotted away however the archaeologists found 40 coins and 2 small gold bars nearby which they believe were contained in the purse.
Well done Louis. This was an item found at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk in 1939.
However, I wanted you to find me something from the Staffordshire hoard as that was more recent. The excavation took place in 2009 and the finds were even better.
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A gold sea horse was found in Staffordshire. The sea horse was decorated using filigree, a technique which creates patterns by soldering lengths of twisted wire to a base plate. The sea horse mount is one of the most remarkable pieces in the hoard decorated using the technique.
Excellent work Louis. Do you know what they would have used this decorative sea horse for? 1 h.p
They found a helmet cheek piece in the Staffordshire Hoard. It has four bands of running animals on it. One beautiful horse’s head is probably the end of a helmet crest. More helmet pieces have been found there but it may take some time to fit the parts together.
The helmet cheek piece would have formed the side panel of a warrior’s helmet.
Well done Jake. I wonder if the helmet will be more impressive than the one found at Sutton Hoo when it is all put together.
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Yesterday I went to the British Museum in London and I saw the helmet from Sutton Hoo. It was very interesting seeing the real helmet that was in the burial ship and the replica that showed how ornate it would have been.
One of the finds from the Staffordshire hoard was a sword pyramid. This was beautifully decorated and attached to a scabbard to stop warriors from drawing their sword too quickly in anger.
Well done Kata. I’m pleased you went to the British Museum and got to see the real helmet from Sutton Hoo – it’s pretty impressive isn’t it! You also found some information about one of the finds from the Staffordshire hoard. Great work!
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