- Archaeologists have unearthed the spectacularly rich
tomb of a Dark Age Anglo-Saxon king - the most important discovery since
the Sutton Hoo ship burial 65 years ago.
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- Excavations at Southend-on-Sea revealed the intact tomb
of an early seventh century Saxon monarch - almost certainly either Saeberht
or Sigeberht, both kings of Dark Age Essex.
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- Saeberht - England's second Christian king - died around
AD617. His kingdom included London and St Paul's Cathedral was almost certainly
founded in his reign.
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- His uncle was the king of Kent responsible for the introduction
of Christianity into Anglo-Saxon England. Sigeberht was murdered in 653
AD because "he was too ready to pardon his enemies". The tomb
and its contents were discovered in almost perfect condition. The spectacular
grave goods were found still "hanging" from iron pegs which had
been hammered into the walls of the tomb.
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- Originally the burial chamber had been lined and roofed
with planks, but the wood has long since disintegrated, allowing the tomb
to fill up with earth.
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- The grave goods - designed to enable the king to live
well in the next world - include a 75cm diameter copper cauldron, a 35cm
hanging bowl from northern England or Ireland and an exquisite 25cm diameter
copper bowl, probably from Italy.
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- There is also a 30cm high flagon, almost certainly from
the Byzantine Empire, two gold foil crosses, an iron-framed folding stool,
a sort of mobile throne, a gold reliquary which would probably have contained
a bone fragment from a saint, four glass vessels, two drinking horns, the
king's sword and the remains of his shield, two gold coins from Merovingian
France, the remains of a lyre, and several iron-clad barrels and buckets,
presumably for alcoholic drink.
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- The king's skeleton has not survived due to the acidic
nature of the soil.
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- The royal tomb is one of the most important archaeological
discoveries in Britain. It dates from the same period as the great Sutton
Hoo ship burial, found in Suffolk in 1939, which contained the body of
a king of East Anglia.
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- The excavations have been carried out by the Museum of
London Archaeological Service and the objects will be on display at the
Museum till 17 February and then from 21 February at Southend-on-Sea's
Museum.
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- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=487950
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