New Sutton Hoo dig could uncover more Anglo-Saxon secrets, say archaeologists
Archaeologists leading a new dig at an Anglo-Saxon burial site are hoping to uncover more about its "mysterious" features, they say.
They want to learn about some of the "anomalies" in the soils at Sutton Hoo - the site where an Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered more than 20 years ago.
Archaeologists from the National Trust say they are likely to find prehistoric flint tools and fragments from Anglo-Saxon burials at the site but are still unsure about what else could be hidden there.
The dig at the Royal Burial Ground and Garden Field, will take place in June and will culminate in a documentary presented by Sir Tony Robinson for the online show Time Team.
Sir Tony described the latest dig as "so exciting".
Angus Wainwright, the regional archaeologist for the National Trust said: “We want to determine if they are archaeology or geological features.
"We hope to find evidence of the deep-time prehistory of Sutton Hoo and perhaps more information about the Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
“We can’t wait to see what this next chapter will bring.”
Sutton Hoo is best known for the uncovering of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship in 1939.
The ship is thought to have been the final resting place of King Raedwald, who ruled East Anglia in the seventh century.
The details of that find were the subject of a Netflix film The Dig, starring Lily James, Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan.
The film led to record visitors to the Suffolk burial site.
Mr Wainwright said the 1939 discovery “not only stunned the archaeological world but set the scene for further exploration”.
“Later archaeological campaigns at Sutton Hoo helped solve mysteries left by the original dig and revealed more about life in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia,” he said.
A 1,400-year-old temple was also found at nearby Rendlesham in 2022, which is believed to have links to the finds at Sutton Hoo.
Last year, the temple was found to be the size of 20 football pitches.
The dig in June is hoping to build on the work by Time Team in 2021 when radar surveys were carried out and the National Trust is hoping technology can help the team this time around.
Mr Wainwright said: "The approach will be painstaking, recording all the finds in 3D from the ground surface, down through the plough soil until we reach the undisturbed archaeology.”
The National Trust said there would be opportunities for visitors to see archaeology in action when the dig takes place.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know