Sutton Hoo Helmet

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(low res) The Sutton Hoo ship burialThese finds come from a spectacular Anglo-Saxon grave at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk. Dating from the early AD 600s, the burial was arranged inside a wooden chamber built in the middle of a 27-metre-long ship, covered by a high earth mound. It is the richest grave yet discovered from early medieval Europe, and would have commemorated a leading figure - perhaps a king - of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia. The Sutton Hoo helmetThis is one of just four complete helmets to survive from Anglo-Saxon England. It has been painstakingly reconstructed from the shattered condition in which it was found. The Sutton Hoo helmet's exceptional survival and haunting appearance have made it an icon of the early medieval period. The helmet consists of an iron cap with a crest, neck guard, cheek-pieces and face-mask. It was originally covered with tinned copper alloy pannels, decorated with animal and warrior motifs (not viewable from this scan). Viewed together, the helmet's mouth, nose and eyebrows form the image of a flying beast. Similar helmets are known from eastern Sweden, implying shared cultural traditions and interactions with East Anglia. The scarcity of surviving Anglo-Saxon helmets indicates that only those of great status could possess them.