Des archéologues du Berkshire ont découvert une tombe de guerrier qui pourrait modifier la façon dont les historiens perçoivent le sud de la Grande-Bretagne au début de l’ère anglo-saxonne.
Des archéologues de l’Université de Reading imaginent avoir rapporté – L’enterrement, situé sur une colline près de la vue imprenable sur la vallée de la Tamise et entouré d’un seigneur de guerre de haut rang du 6ème siècle après JC.
Les restes squelettiques d’un seigneur de guerre anglo-saxon du VIe siècle découverts
“Marlow Warlord” était un homme imposant de six pieds de haut, enterré à côté d’un éventail de luxes et d’armes coûteux, avec une épée dans un fourreau orné, des lances, des récipients en verre et du bronze et de nombreux équipements privés.
L’enterrement païen était resté inconnu et intact pendant plus de 1 400 ans jusqu’à ce que deux détecteurs d’acier, Sue et Mick Washington, arrivent sur place en 2018.
Sue a déclaré: « Lors de deux visites précédentes, j’avais reçu un signal important de cette zone qui semblait être en fer profond et très probablement sans intérêt. Cependant, l’incertitude me préoccupait et lors de mon prochain voyage, je n’avais qu’à enquêter, et cela s’est avéré être une troisième chance !
Sue, who together with different members of the Maidenhead Search Society steel detecting membership had visited the location a number of occasions beforehand, initially unearthed two bronze bowls. Realising the age and significance of the discover, she stopped digging and the Club, in step with finest observe, registered this discovery with the Portable Antiquities Scheme. (PAS).
The PAS Finds Liaison Officer for Buckinghamshire undertook a focused excavation to recuperate the very fragile bronze vessels and, within the course of, recovered a pair of iron spearheads prompt that the context was more likely to be an Anglo-Saxon grave.
Thanks to their actions, the bowls and spearheads had been recognized and conserved, and following Sue’s beneficiant donation, are quickly to go on show at Buckinghamshire Museum in Aylesbury.
Recognising the significance of the burial and the necessity for extra detailed archaeological investigation, a staff led by the Department of Archaeology on the University of Reading carried out a full survey and excavation in August 2020. The burial was at a really shallow depth, making the excavation essential to guard it from farming exercise.
Dr Gabor Thomas, a specialist in early medieval archaeology on the University of Reading, stated: “We had anticipated to search out some sort of Anglo-Saxon burial, however what we found exceeded all our expectations and gives new insights into this stretch of the Thames within the a long time after the collapse of the Roman administration in Britain.
“This the primary burial of its sort found within the mid-Thames basin, which is usually ignored in favour of the Upper Thames and London. It means that the folks dwelling on this area could have been extra vital than historians beforehand suspected.
“This guy would have been tall and robust compared to other men at the time, and would have been an imposing figure even today. The nature of his burial and the site with views overlooking the Thames suggest he was a respected leader of a local tribe and had probably been a formidable warrior in his own right.”
The early Anglo-Saxon interval was one of nice change in England with important ranges of immigration from the continent and the formation of new identities and energy constructions within the vacuum created by the collapse of the Roman administration round 400 AD. Around a century later — the interval wherein the Marlow Warlord lived -England was occupied by native tribal groupings, some of which expanded into Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, resembling Wessex, Mercia and Kent.
The area of the mid-Thames between London and Oxford was beforehand regarded as a ‘borderland’ on this area, with highly effective tribal teams on all sides. This new discovery means that the world could have hosted vital teams of its personal. It is probably going that the world was later squeezed out or absorbed into the bigger neighbouring proto-kingdoms of Kent, Wessex and Mercia.
A staff involving archaeologists from the University of Reading and native volunteer teams carried out a two-week excavation of the location in August 2020 with the type permission of the supportive landowner. This exercise included geophysical survey, check excavations, and a full excavation of the grave website.
Found buried with the Marlow Warlord had been a sword with an exceptionally well-preserved scabbard — making it one of the best-preserved sheathed swords identified from the interval -made of wooden and leather-based with ornamental bronze fittings, spears, bronze and glass vessels, dress-fittings, shears and different implements.
These objects are at present being conserved by Pieta Greaves of Drakon Heritage and Conservation. Further evaluation of the human stays can be carried out on the Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, to assist decide the person’s age, well being, weight-reduction plan and geographical origins.
Michael Lewis, Head of the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, stated: “This is a great example of archaeologists and metal-detectorists working together. Especially important is the fact that the finders stopped when they realised they had discovered something significant and called in archaeological assistance. By doing so they ensure much more could be learnt about this interesting burial.”
Michael Lewis, Head of the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, stated: “This is a great example of archaeologists and metal-detectorists working together. Especially important is the fact that the finders stopped when they realised they had discovered something significant and called in archaeological assistance. By doing so they ensure much more could be learnt about this interesting burial.”
Le personnel espère actuellement augmenter les fonds pour payer des travaux de conservation supplémentaires, afin de permettre à certaines des découvertes d’être exposées au grand public au musée du Buckinghamshire en 2021, lorsque leurs galeries éternelles récemment rénovées rouvriront.
