Gold Belt Buckle From The Ship Burial At Sutton Hoo Meaning

One cemetery had an undisturbed ship burial with a wealth of anglo saxon artefacts of art historical and archaeological significance.

Gold belt buckle from the ship burial at sutton hoo meaning.

These curved gold shoulder clasps are feats of astonishing craftsmanship. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since the 1930s. Constructed from several separate pieces its body forms a hinged box with an ingenious triple lock mechanism. Their weight and the rows of loops on the back suggest that they were attached to a thick.

The type of metal used and the fineness of decoration were key factors. There was a purse among the burial goods which contained 37 gold coins 3 coin shaped blanks and 2 small gold ingots. British museum london united kingdom. Primarily decorative shield on tongue buckles were common anglo saxon grave goods at this time elaborately decorated on the shield portion and associated only with men.

This type of animal ornament was popular with many germanic speaking peoples at the time. Situated on either side of the boss at the tip of the buckle two animals grip a. In early anglo saxon england buckles used to fasten waist belts were a means of expressing a man s wealth and status. The upper surface is covered entirely with zoomorphic interlace the design picked out in tiny punched circles and inlaid except on the loop in niello.

Gold belt buckle hollow with cast ornament. Gold belt buckle the metal and decoration on saxon s buckle reflected the wealth and status of their owner. Made using over 400 grams of gold its intricate decoration shows 13 intertwining creatures inlaid with niello a black metal alloy. This magnificent buckle found in the ship burial was made of gold and weighs 412 7 grams.

Most of these objects are now held by the british museum in london. The suttton hoo buckle is a superlative example of of this type of animal ornament which was popular with many germanic people at that time. This gold belt buckle is a masterpiece of early medieval craftsmanship made using over 400g of gold with an intricate decoration of intertwining creatures inlaid with niello a black metal alloy. Belt buckles go back at least to the iron age and a gold great buckle was among the items interred at sutton hoo.

Three large plain hemispherical bosses connect with sliding catches on the back plate which opens on a hinge. Each one is made in two halves which are hinged and fastened by a strong pin. Belt buckle sutton hoo early 7th century gold. The intricate decoration comprises a web of 13 snakes predatory birds and long limbed beasts.

From the sutton hoo ship burial mound 1 england uk. Shoulder clasps from the ship burial at sutton hoo 550 650. Sutton hoo ship burial sutton hoo ship burial video the sutton hoo purse lid.