Sutton Hoo Treasure Gives Pleasure

From My Fantasy Writing Desk

Thanks to the glorious Sutton Hoo treasure, I’ll recommend another entertainment this week. We all need that so much. Food for our brains and souls that feeds us and keeps the boredom at bay without draining or terrifying us.

Have you seen the Netflix movie “The Dig”? I enjoyed it very much. It unfolds the tale of what might be England’s greatest archaeological find, an Anglo-Saxon burial at Sutton Hoo. The story of the excavation in 1939 on the eve of WWII has intrinsic drama, quite aside from the glory of the treasure and ship uncovered.

The locals had assumed the group of mounds dated to the Viking era. When a French coin showed an earlier date—right in the middle of the so-called “dark ages”—the view of that historical era underwent a transformation. Up to then, the dark ages were dark because we knew so little about them. They represented a mighty gap in historical knowledge. The contents of the Sutton Hoo treasure revealed a high culture, completely at odds with all the previous assumptions.

Added to that, the people who conducted this dig also bring interest to the tale. There’s the widow with a young son who owned the land and decided to pursue the exploration. In addition, the excavator himself brings a story drenched in a battle to overcome British social classism and snobbery.

You’ll come away with a warmed heart and a sense of hope. You’ll also get glimpses of an elusive historical time. The film’s tale of a long-ago burial brought into the light of day gripped me in a grand way. It deftly creates an enduring connection between the generations of man.

Here’s an excellent article about the actual dig and the history of its excavation. It also has information about the film itself. Click here to read the BBC’s “The buried ship found on an English estate.” 

For a post about an excavated Viking ship.