A 7th Century Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Burwell Road, Exning, Suffolk

"The village of Exning in the most westerly part of Suffolk is a small settlement appended to the north-west of the larger town of Newmarket. Despite its modern inferiority to Newmarket, it is understood to have been an important location in the Anglo-Saxon period. Statements in the Liber Eliensis or 'Book of Ely' suggest that St Æthelthryth, or Etheldreda, the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, who would become Abbess of Ely, was born here. This volume describes the archaeological excavation of the site and the 7th century Anglo-Saxon cemetery that was recorded here. Grave goods present with several of the burials in the cemetery were indicative of high status. Of further note is the similarity of the richest grave at this site with a grave recorded at a cemetery on the Isle of Ely which is considered to have had links with the religious community there."--Back cover (page 4 of cover) Cover Title Page Copyright Of Related Interest Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures List of Plates List of Graphs List of Tables List of contributors 1. Introduction 2. A note on terminology 3. The Results of the Excavation Introduction Phase 1. Possible Prehistoric features Phase 2. Romano-British Phase 3. Anglo-Saxon 4. Dating and cemetery chronology Results 5. The Burials Skeleton 1; Grave 1 F2037 Skeleton 2; Grave 2 F2035 Skeleton 3; Grave 3 F2039 Skeleton 4; Grave 4 F2041 Skeleton 5; Grave 5 F2055 Skeleton 6; Grave 6 F2053 Skeleton 7; Grave 7 F2059 Skeleton 8; Grave 8 F2061 Skeletons 9a & 9b; Grave 9 F2063 Skeleton 10; Grave 10 F2069 Skeleton 11; Grave 11 F2073 Skeleton 12; Grave 12 F2075 Skeleton 13; Grave 13 F2077 Skeleton 14; Grave 14 F2079 Skeleton 15; Grave 15 F2081 Skeleton 16; Grave 16 F2083 Skeleton 17; Grave 17 F2085 Skeleton 18; Grave 18 F2089 Skeleton 19; Grave 19 F2087 Skeleton 20; Grave 20 F2091 6. Cemetery layout 7. Grave orientation 8. Grave structures and morphology Construction and dimensions of graves Coffins and other grave furniture 9. Burial position 10. The Cemetery population Methodology for Human Skeletal Remains analysis Demography Life expectancy Metrical and morphological analysis Stature Cranial indices Non-metric traits Dental analysis Pathology Congenital and developmental anomalies Arthropathies and degenerative disease Trauma and stress indicators Deficiency disease Infections Neoplasm Miscellaneous lesions Stable Isotope Analysis Introduction Materials and methods Results Section 1. Population diet Migration Section 2: Individual bone collagen and dentine collage profiles. Lifestyle 11. The Grave Goods Catherine Hills, Ian Riddler, Sam Lucy, Penelope Walton Rogers Weapons Spearhead Seax Organic remains of the seax handle and sheath (Penelope Walton Rogers) Horse harness fittings Pendant Copper alloy gilded disc Gold and silver jewellery Cabochon Pendants Gold and silver beads Copper alloy and silver dress fasteners and jewellery Copper alloy safety pin brooch (Catherine Hills) Copper alloy bracelet (Catherine Hills) Copper alloy buckle (Catherine Hills) Iron buckles (Sam Lucy) Silver rings (Catherine Hills) Glass beads (Catherine Hills) Amulet (Ian Riddler) Glass vessels Piece of blue glass (Catherine Hills) Palm cup (Catherine Hills) Two fragments of pale blue translucent glass (Catherine Hills) Glass fragment (Catherine Hills) Weaving and textile equipment Iron woolcomb spikes (Penelope Walton Rogers and Margrethe Felter) Pin-beaters (Ian Riddler) Other grave-goods The Knives (Ian Riddler) Organic remains with the knives (Penelope Walton Rogers) Knife handles Knife sheaths Spatulate Implement (Ian Riddler) Comb (Ian Riddler) Bell (Sam Lucy) Gaming Pieces (Ian Riddler) Costume and textiles Penelope Walton Rogers 12. Pottery from the graves Peter Thompson 13. Faunal Remains from the graves Julia E. M. Cussans Animal bone Shell 14. Wealth, status and roles in society 15. Religion, beliefs and symbolism Grave-goods and religious symbolism Further meaning and symbolism of grave-goods Beliefs, symbolism and the history of the site 16. Anglo-Saxon burial evidence in the surrounding area 17. Exning, Ely, and Æthelthryth Bibliography Appendix 1. Catalogue of Human Skeletal Remains Notes Articulated skeletons Sk. 1: Male, c.25–30 years Sk. 2: Child, c.8–10 years Sk. 3: Child, c.6–7 years Sk. 4: Female, young–middle-aged (c.25–35) Sk. 5: Child, c.2 years Sk. 7: ?Female, young–middle-aged (c.25–35) Sk. 8: Child, c.10–12 years Sk. 9A: Female, middle-aged or older (>35 years) Sk. 9B: Female, young–middle-aged (c.25–35) Sk. 10: Female, middle-aged (c.35–45) Sk. 11: Female, middle-aged (c.35–45) Sk. 12: Child, c.10–11 years Sk. 13: Child, c.7 years Sk. 14: Male, middle-aged or older (>35 years) Sk. 15: Male, c.25–30 years Sk. 16: Male, young–middle-aged (c.25–35) Sk. 17: Male c.16–17 years Sk. 18: Male, c.17–18 years Sk. 19: Child, c.15 years Sk. 20: Male, c.18–20 years Skeleton Diagrams Measurements Non-metric traits Back Cover The village of Exning in the most westerly part of Suffolk is a small settlement appended to the north-west of the larger town of Newmarket. Despite its modern inferiority to Newmarket, it is understood to have been an important location in the Anglo-Saxon period. Statements in the Liber Eliensis or ?Book of Ely? suggest that St AEthelthryth, or Etheldreda, the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, who would become Abbess of Ely, was born here. This volume describes the archaeological excavation of the site and the 7th century Anglo-Saxon cemetery that was recorded here. Grave goods present with several of the burials in the cemetery were indicative of high status. Of further note is the similarity of the richest grave at this site with a grave recorded at a cemetery on the Isle of Ely which is considered to have had links with the religious community there