General Information: This metalwork purse cover is an ancient Anglo-Saxon artifact recovered from a burial ship at Sutton Hoo, England. This purse cover would normally be attached to a leather pouch, acting as a clasp to keep it shut, which would hold coins.
When was Sutton Hoo purse lid made?
Sutton Hoo is a series of 6th-7th century burial mounds found in Suffolk, England. The first and also the largest mound, originally excavated in 1939 by Basil Brown, contained a 90-foot-long (27 m) ship, and is supposedly the burial site of Rædwald, the leader of the Wuffing dynasty.
What characteristics of the early medieval period are suggested by the purse cover from Sutton Hoo?
What characteristics of the early medieval period are suggested by the purse cover from Sutton Hoo? -Animal forms provided decorative effect and symbolic value. -Individuals used luxury objects as status symbols. – Economic and cultural exchange occurred throughout Western Europe.
How much is the Sutton Hoo treasure worth?
Experts on the government’s independent valuation committee said the 1,400-year-old treasure, the largest and most valuable such hoard ever found, was worth 3,285,000 million pounds.
Why is the Sutton Hoo purse lid important?
Purse lid from the Sutton Hoo ship burial Wealth, and its public display, was probably used to establish status in early Anglo-Saxon society much as it is today. The purse lid from Sutton Hoo is the richest of its kind yet found. The lid was made to cover a leather pouch containing gold coins.
Who owns the Sutton Hoo treasure?
the National Trust
The most important artifacts from Sutton Hoo, including the famous helmet, can be viewed in Room 41 of the British Museum in London. The estate in Suffolk is also open to the public, and owned by the National Trust.
Is the ship at Sutton Hoo still buried?
What, No Boat? The 27 metre long Anglo-Saxon ship from Sutton Hoo no longer exists. Although all physical trace has gone, perhaps the ship has sailed on into the next world, bearing its captain on new adventures.
What happened to the Sutton Hoo ship?
What, No Boat? The 27 metre long Anglo-Saxon ship from Sutton Hoo no longer exists. It was made of oak and after 1,300 years in the acidic soil, it rotted away leaving only its ‘ghost’ imprinted in the sand.
What was the purse lid from Sutton Hoo for?
Wealth, and its public display, was probably used to establish status in early Anglo-Saxon society much as it is today. The purse lid from Sutton Hoo is the richest of its kind yet found. The lid was made to cover a leather pouch containing gold coins.
What was found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial?
The burial can only be dated on the basis of the coins that were found there. There was a purse among the burial goods, which contained 37 gold coins, 3 coin-shaped blanks, and 2 small gold ingots. The presence of the coin-shaped blanks suggests that the number of coins was deliberately rounded up to 40.
What was on the top of the purse lid?
The purse-lid was the top of a leather pouch for coins. The leather has decayed but forty Frankish coins and two small ingots were found with the lid. Each coin was from a different mint, indicating a deliberately selected collection.
Where did the Sutton Hoo coin come from?
They all come from the kingdom of the Merovingian Franks on the Continent, rather than any English kingdom, although coin production had started in Kent by this time. Sutton Hoo was in the kingdom of East Anglia and the coin dates suggest that it may be the burial of King Raedwald, who died around 625.
