Ongoing Sutton Hoo Excavation Finds Missing Pieces of Byzantine Bucket

The conclusion of a month-long excavation by a renowned television archaeology TV show in Britain has revealed the uncovered missing fragments of a 6th century Byzantine bucket at the renowned Sutton Hoo site in Suffolk, England. Parts of the original bucket were discovered in 1986, and then in 2012, but the current dig provides the missing pieces of the puzzle. These fragments have been discovered along with other artifacts at the prehistoric site.

The archaeologists from Time Team had 80 volunteers from across the world participate at the Sutton Hoo site, described as England’s ‘Valley of the Kings’. They were supported by the National Trust and FAS Heritage, part of a 2 year long excavation project.

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Volunteers of Time Team scour the excavated ground at Sutton Hoo site. (© National Trust)

Ship Burials and the Missing Bucket Pieces

This site gained international fame for the iconic Anglo-Saxon ship burial discovered in 1939, which revealed a burial chamber filled with valuable artifacts belonging to a prominent figure from the early 7th century AD, reports The BBC. This burial chamber has often been described as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time!

During this period, before the formation of a unified England, ship burials were exceptionally rare, indicating the buried individual was of great importance. Some historians speculate the burial could belong to King Raedwald, who ruled East Anglia during this era.

In 1986 and later in 2012, fragments of a richly decorated ancient Byzantine bucket, known as the Bromeswell Bucket, were found in Garden Fields near Sutton Hoo. Originally crafted in the eastern Mediterranean in the 6th century, the bucket predates the ship burial by approximately a century.

The bucket’s journey to Suffolk remains a mystery, but archaeologists, conservators, and volunteers hoped to uncover more pieces during their recent excavations. Fortunately, their efforts yielded great benefit.

Fragment of the Bromeswell Bucket found at the Sutton Hoo site. (© National Trust)

"Because of its proximity to fragments discovered much earlier, we had hoped this year’s dig would yield more of the Bromeswell Bucket. [It] originated from the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century - around a hundred years before the ship and its extraordinary treasure was put to rest," provided Angus Wainwright, Regional Archaeologist for the National Trust.

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For decades each fragment of the bucket has been painstakingly cleaned, re-shaped and mounted to show how it would have looked. (© National Trust)

Advanced Technology: Exploring Sutton Hoo’s Early History

Time Team employed advanced technology during the dig, part of a new two-year research project exploring Sutton Hoo's early history. They utilized a combination of geophysical surveys, including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), a method of chemical and elemental analysis. This technology enabled the team to confirm that the newly discovered fragments, along with some previously recovered and stored pieces, were indeed part of the Bromeswell Bucket.

“Earlier geophysical surveys carried out by Time Team had identified some mysterious anomalies, which led us to the excavation of Garden Field. It’s hoped that this two-year research project will help us to learn more about the wider landscape at Sutton Hoo and the everyday lives of the people that lived there, perhaps even shedding some light on why the Royal Burial Ground was placed where it was. So, this find is a great step on that journey,” explained Wainwright in a statement sent to IFLScience.

Excavation of newly found piece of the bucket. (©National Trust)

Since the initial discovery of the bucket fragments in the 1980s, researchers have meticulously cleaned, reshaped, and mounted them to restore the artifact's former glory. Examination using Time Team's specialized technologies revealed that the bucket had been damaged and repaired, with evidence suggesting the metal was soldered back together.

This find is just one of many discoveries from the month-long excavation. Further details will be unveiled in an upcoming Time Team documentary on the excavation. Meanwhile, the recovered objects will be processed and catalogued before returning to Sutton Hoo.

Top image: Left, the reconstructed Bromeswell Bucket, and right, a newly found fragment.           Source: © National Trust

By Sahir Pandey