Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Unearthed in Eastern England

News January 12, 2024

England Gold Garnet Pendant
(© Wessex Archaeology)
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England Gold Garnet Pendant

LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND—According to an ABC News report, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery containing the remains of more than 20 people was discovered in northeastern England by researchers from Wessex Archaeology, who investigated the region ahead of a large-scale construction project. The cemetery, which had been placed within an earlier Bronze Age ring ditch, was in use in the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. One of the burials contained the remains of a teenaged girl and a child, who were placed in the grave on their sides. The child was tucked in behind the older girl. Two small gold pendants set with garnets, a silver pendant with an amber mount, two small blue glass beads, and an annular brooch were found near the teen’s head and chest. DNA analysis of those who were buried in the cemetery may reveal if any of them were related to one other. Isotopic analysis of the bones may also offer more information about their origins and health status. “This will give us a far better understanding of the population, from their mobility to their genetic background and even their diet,” explained osteoarchaeologist Jacqueline McKinley. For more on the Anglo-Saxons, go to "The Ongoing Saga of Sutton Hoo."

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