Shadows of the dead in 1,500-year-old graves

An Anglo-Saxon cemetery with 208 6th century graves has been discovered by archaeologists at Oulton near Lowestoft in East Suffolk on the site of a future residential development. The graves concealed the rare phenomenon of silhouettes - dark impressions of the undead in the sandy soil.

"Our archaeologists carefully documented the remains of 17 cremations and 191 graves. Due to the very acidic soil, the skeletal remains have mostly disappeared, but fortunately the shapes and impressions of the bodies in the sand have been preserved. Traces of several wooden coffins were also found in the graves," said lead archaeologist Andrew Peachey of Archaeological Solutions Ltd.

"Unusually many graves also contained fragments of pottery and in some cases complete decorated vessels. There were also silver small coins, amber and glass beads, pins, bracelets and other ornaments. Weapons were rare here, and apart from a few small iron knives, a sword was found in one of the graves, iron spears in three others, and one shield, of which only the fittings remained. Many of the artefacts were so fragile that they had to be recovered in a block of soil 'in situ' for extraction and analysis at the Norfolk Museum Service laboratories, where they were also conserved. In addition, we also recovered pieces of textiles and leather."

The cemetery, which lies about 50km from the legendary Sutton Hoo burial ground of the same era, was probably used by the local farming community. There were male and female graves, as well as children's and infant graves. The burial ground was used for several generations. The grave goods provide clear evidence of the transition from paganism to Christianity. For example, several older pre-Christian graves contained pottery typical of the period, while later graves contained artefacts with Christian symbols, e.g. A brooch with a cross was found in the grave of an adult woman.

All archaeological materials were recovered, preserved and the site was fully documented. Construction will continue as planned. The finds will be further studied under laboratory conditions.

Roman Němec

The graves concealed many artifacts, including completely preserved vessels.

The skeletal remains have decomposed due to the acidic soil, leaving only shadows

The Anglo-Saxon cemetery is thought to date from the same period as the famous Sutton Hoo burial ground near Woodbridge

Silhouette in the sand

Clasps, amber cords and glass beads to be displayed in museum

Sources: dailymail.co.uk, thehistoryblog.com, smithsonianmag.com, bbc.com