History Extra Podcast: "Who is Buried at Sutton Hoo?"
Release Date: January 2, 2025
Introduction to Sutton Hoo and the Podcast Episode
The History Extra Podcast, hosted by David Musgrove and produced by Immediate Media, delves into one of Britain's most enigmatic archaeological discoveries: the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial. This episode, titled "Who is Buried at Sutton Hoo?", explores Dr. Helen Gittos's groundbreaking theory that challenges traditional views about the individual interred in this illustrious burial site.
Dr. Helen Gittos's Revolutionary Theory
New Perspective on the Burial's Occupant
Dr. Helen Gittos introduces a provocative hypothesis: the man buried at Sutton Hoo may have been a mounted mercenary who served in the Byzantine army in Syria. This notion is a significant departure from the conventional understanding of the burial as that of an Anglo-Saxon king like Raedwald.
"Today I am joined by Helen Gittos, who's written a really interesting article entitled 'Sussenhu and the Anglo Saxons who Served in the Byzantine army?' and it's being published in the English Historical Review. It's a really interesting take on a really interesting bit of history."
— Dr. Helen Gittos [01:32]
Rationale Behind the Theory
Dr. Gittos's theory stems from her decade-long puzzling over the distribution maps of unusual metal objects tracing routes from Byzantium through Europe to eastern England. The breakthrough occurred during the March 2021 lockdown when she uncovered evidence suggesting that the Byzantine Empire had recruited significant numbers of Western European mercenaries, potentially including Anglo-Saxons.
"The point of the article, as I understand it... the person buried in the fabulous and famous ship burial at Sussenhu in the 6th or 7th centuries AD might have fought as a mounted mercenary for the Byzantine army in Syria. Is that what you're saying?"
— David Musgrove [01:56]
"I think that is what I'm suggesting is possible... More and more pieces of evidence kept falling into place in a way that was quite literally thrilling in doing the Research for it."
— David Musgrove [02:04]
Sutton Hoo and Similar Princely Burials
Description and Significance
Sutton Hoo, located in Suffolk, is renowned for its ship burial containing a wealth of exotic artifacts, including silks, silverware, and military equipment. Dr. Gittos discusses the similarities between Sutton Hoo and other princely burials from the same era, highlighting their unique characteristics and geographical distribution.
"The most famous of these burials is the ship burial at Suttonhoo in Suffolk... buried with extraordinary luxuries... all sorts of things from Gaul, from the East Mediterranean, from western Britain."
— David Musgrove [06:45]
Insights from Modern Excavations
The 2019 excavation of the Prittlewell burial in Essex provided invaluable contemporary data, revealing objects like gold foil crosses placed on the eyes of the deceased, indicating possible Christian affiliations prior to Augustine's mission.
"The Prittlewell man had been buried with these two gold foil crosses, tiny little, very thin gold foil crosses that were placed on his eyes."
— David Musgrove [09:48]
Byzantine Recruitment of Western Mercenaries
Historical Context of the Byzantine Empire
Dr. Gittos elaborates on the Byzantine Empire's ongoing conflict with the Sasanian Persian Empire during the late 6th century. To bolster their military strength, the Byzantines recruited large federate armies from Western Europe, including possibly from Britain—a connection previously overlooked by historians.
"The Byzantines sent a general to Western Europe... to recruit a massive federate army to help them in their campaigns against the Sasanians."
— David Musgrove [02:18]
Evidence Supporting the Theory
The presence of Western European names on silver liturgical vessels found in Lebanon suggests direct contributions from these mercenaries, indicating a stronger-than-anticipated link between Byzantium and regions like Britain.
"These objects that were donated by are Western European names, Germanic names... this is part of the evidence that we have for these Western federate troops in the eastern Mediterranean."
— David Musgrove [03:12]
Challenging Traditional Trade Narratives
Unusual Artifacts and Their Origins
Dr. Gittos questions the traditional explanation that exotic goods in Sutton Hoo were traded or gifted through the Merovingian Empire. The artifacts' contemporary nature and rarity make it unlikely they arrived solely through established trade routes.
"Some of these objects are really, really unusual. There's no evidence that there were shiploads of them coming from the Eastern Mediterranean through trade..."
— David Musgrove [13:12]
Alternative Pathways of Acquisition
She proposes that these items might have been brought directly by the Anglo-Saxon mercenaries returning from service in the Byzantine campaigns, explaining both their exotic nature and specific origins.
"Mightn't this be another possible route, that these people were actually bringing back objects directly themselves from travels that they had been on in the Eastern Mediterranean?"
— David Musgrove [14:14]
Christianity’s Role in the Burials
Early Christian Influences
The presence of Christian symbols in burials like Prittlewell suggests that some Anglo-Saxon warriors may have adopted Christianity even before the official mission led by Augustine in 597 AD.
"These men... considered themselves to be Christian... It's really interesting to think about it from this perspective."
— David Musgrove [30:02]
Contrasting Views on Religious Affiliation
Dr. Gittos contrasts Dr. Martin Carver's interpretation of Sutton Hoo as a pagan king resisting Christianity with her own view of the buried individual potentially being a Christian Byzantine soldier.
"Some people have thought of them as pagan... What you're saying... would rather go against that concept."
— Dr. Helen Gittos [31:52]
Implications for Understanding Sutton Hoo’s Occupant
Reevaluating Raedwald’s Identity
While traditional orthodoxy identifies the Sutton Hoo occupant as Raedwald, a king of the Anglo-Saxons, Dr. Gittos suggests it could instead be an adventurer or a high-ranking mercenary whose status warranted such a lavish burial.
"Maybe they don't all have to be kings... Maybe it's someone else who we know so much about, but don't know his name."
— David Musgrove [35:32]
Broader Connections with the Byzantine Empire
Acknowledging the interconnectedness between the Anglo-Saxons and Byzantium reshapes our understanding of early medieval Britain, highlighting a more global perspective than previously considered.
"Historians are interested in connectedness... Some people were traveling very large distances indeed."
— David Musgrove [35:51]
Conclusion and Final Reflections
Dr. Helen Gittos’s theory underscores the complexity and global interconnectedness of early medieval societies. By positing that the Sutton Hoo burial could belong to a Byzantine-affiliated Anglo-Saxon mercenary, she challenges long-held assumptions and invites historians to reconsider the cultural and political landscapes of the time.
"The world was so much more connected in the early Middle Ages than we have sometimes thought."
— Dr. Helen Gittos [35:51]
She emphasizes the importance of examining micro-level relationships and direct interactions that may have facilitated the movement of individuals and exotic goods across vast distances. This perspective not only enriches our understanding of Sutton Hoo but also enhances the broader narrative of Britain's historical connections with the Byzantine Empire.
"This will really showcase how much more connected the world was in the early Middle Ages than we have sometimes thought."
— Dr. Helen Gittos [35:51]
Notable Quotes with Timestamps
-
"Gosh, it's quite a shocking thing to say..."
— David Musgrove [01:53] -
"These burials tend to be located on the edges of kingdoms rather than in their middles."
— David Musgrove [10:16] -
"These objects weren't old legacy items... They were current in the eastern Mediterranean."
— David Musgrove [15:39] -
"There are lots of ways of ruling an empire... It's about the diplomatic connections."
— David Musgrove [28:59] -
"These men... considered themselves to be Christian."
— David Musgrove [31:52]
Final Thoughts
This episode of the History Extra Podcast offers a compelling reexamination of one of Britain’s most famous archaeological finds. By integrating archaeological evidence with historical analysis, Dr. Helen Gittos provides a fresh lens through which to view the Sutton Hoo burial, inviting listeners to contemplate the intricate web of connections that defined the early medieval world.
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