Now recognised as a significant find, other archaeologists, including Charles Phillips, joined the excavation. As they dug further, they discovered that a hut had been built in the middle of the ship. Inside, they found a coffin and many other items, including armour, weapons, ornaments, jewellery, silver and gold tableware, musical instruments and gold coins! Altogether, 263 objects were unearthed. However, there was no sign of a body...
At first, it was thought that the ship and coffin were a cenotaph (an empty tomb made in honour of a person whose remains are elsewhere). However, the widely held belief now is that, due to the acidic soil in the area, the bones had dissolved over time. But without a body, how can we tell who was buried there?
We can gain many clues from the items that were found within the hut, or burial chamber:
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The armour and weapons tell us that the person was a man
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The gold objects and jewellery suggest that this man was very wealthy
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The standard and sceptre found hint that he was important and powerful
- The coins found can be dated c.613 CE onwards, suggesting the person died not before this approximate date.
Many experts today have come to the conclusion that the person buried within the ship was King Raedwald, the ruler of East Anglia from c.599 until his death c.624 CE. However, it is unlikely that we will ever know for certain.
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