The dig is an account of the 1939 excavations at sutton hoo, suffolk, on the east coast of england. In the long, hot summer of 1939, britain is preparing for war, but on a riverside farm in suffolk there is excitement of another kind. The dig june cc book club selection college confidential. Sutton hoo archaeological site, suffolk, england, united. In 1939 archaelogists explored the largest mound and discovered a.
Carey mulligan and ralph fiennes heading for suffolk to. The find at sutton hoo, in 1939, turned out to be europes largest ship burial, helping to fill a blank in the nations story weeks before the outbreak of the second world war. Weve spent a lot of time in class talking about burial grounds. Archive footage of the excavation of the sutton hoo ship burial in suffolk, in the east of england in 1939. Sutton hoos new fullsize anglosaxon ship sculpture will send a tingle up your spine as you stand in its ghostly shadows contemplating the extraordinary story that it represents. Sutton hoo, estate near woodbridge, suffolk, england, that is the site of an early medieval burial ground that includes the grave or cenotaph of an anglosaxon king. This fictional recreation of the famed sutton hoo dig follows three months of. See more ideas about sutton hoo, anglo saxon, sutton.
It is well over 60 years since a seventhcentury anglo. The site contained an undisturbed shipburial, considered one of the most magnificent archaeological finds in england for its size and completeness, farreaching connections, the quality and beauty of its contents, and the. The dig operates on two layers, the surface story about the discovery of sutton hoo, and a subtle layer of deep time peeking through the surface. The sutton hoo treasures represent a continuum from prechristian royal accumulation of precious objects from diverse cultural sources, through to the art of gospel books, shrines and liturgical or dynastic objects. New sutton hoo movie rights the wrongs of archaeological. The intricacy of the artifacts from the largest of these, a shipburial datable to the late sixth century, completely altered the. First dig in decades close to sutton hoo burial site could.
The brilliance of this superbly crafted novel lies in its ability to inspire competing emotions in the reader. It will also address a decadesold injustice and finally gives credit to the amateur. Lindisfarne gospels quiz the utrecht psalter and its influence. Revisiting sutton hoo, britains mythical ship burial the new yorker. Discovered in 1939, it is one of the largest and bestpreserved archaeological finds of the saxon period in europe. This beautifully composed short novel by john preston may be most notable for.
It dramatizes the excavation at sutton hoo in england that changed our understanding of the history of europe in the dark ages. The book adds meaning to the discovery of the ground and those who were involved in the digs, but will also be a very enjoyable read for anyone who cannot get to sutton hoo, capturing as it does the excitement of the days when archaeology was still carried out initially by local amateurs. It is very important to historians because it tells them a great deal about the wealth and traditions of early anglosaxon kings. Revisiting sutton hoo, britains mythical ship burial. Note that the authors note says that certain changes have been made for dramatic effect, but no further detail is given about what has been changed. In 1932, after four years of work with a small telescope, brown had published a wellreceived, twohundredpage book of. John prestons fourth novel, the dig, is a dramatisation of the events leading to britains most famous archaeological find. This is the first dig to happen so close to the burial mounds since 1991, so weve been working really closely with the team. An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of sutton hoo in 1938. It is situated off the b10832 road, two miles east of woodbridge tm288487. The dig book columbus metropolitan library bibliocommons. John prestons the dig evocatively dramatises the events behind the discovery of the sutton hoo treasure, says rowland manthorpe rowland manthorpe sat 12 may 2007 19. It details the finds and the dig in an approachable way without getting dragged down by the science or expanding too.
The find at sutton hoo, in 1939, turned out to be europes largest. Allison girling, property operations manager at sutton hoo, said. The dig by john preston meet your next favorite book. Our june selection is the dig by john preston, a fictional retelling of the sutton hoo excavation that took place near the small suffolk town of woodbridge in 1939. How the eccentric who uncovered huge anglo saxon treasure. At the heart of the sutton hoo ship burial was a chamber surrounded by riches from byzantium and beyond, pointing to the existence of international connections the origin of the term viking is uncertain, perhaps coming from old norse words for pirates, seaborne expeditions, or an area in southeastern norway called viken. The king was laid out in a wooden ship, 27 metres long, which people believed would take him to the next world. The burial, one of the richest germanic burials found in europe, contained a ship fully equipped for the afterlife but with no body. Sutton hoo is the site of the grave of an anglosaxon king in suffolk, england. The larger book on the 1980s and 1990s archaeological dig sutton hoo, a seventh century princely burial ground and its context, martin carver 2005, british museum credits the sutton hoo society at various times with buying a theodolite, wet sieve, flotation tank, marquee, tarpaulin, scaffolding, answerphone, generator, kitchen. John prestons recreation of the sutton hoo dig the greatest anglosaxon discovery ever in britain brilliantly and comically dramatizes three. For long, sutton hoo was in private hands, but in 1998 it was given to the national trust. Sutton hoo is situated near the village of woodbridge on the river deben in the county of suffolk, the southern part of east anglia.
A peculiar tale attaches to the investigation of the sutton hoo site. A doubleedged sword, such as that on display, were the most. In the late 1930s, mrs edith pretty owned tranmer house, formerly known as sutton hoo house, an elegant edwardian house on the east bank of the river deben, opposite the town of woodbridge. Much of what we know about the anglosaxons comes from graves like the one discovered at sutton hoo in suffolk. With lily james, ralph fiennes, carey mulligan, johnny flynn. The plot of this novel is firmly anchored in the historical facts relating to the incredible finds at the sutton hoo shipburial. There is edith pretty, the owner of sutton hoo, a fey upperclass. John prestons recreation of the sutton hoo dig the greatest anglosaxon discovery ever in britain brilliantly and comically dramatizes three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in equal measure. Sutton hoo revealed in 1938, mrs edith pretty, owner of the sutton hoo estate, invited local archaeologist basil brown to excavate a group of low grassy mounds on the edge of a 30mhigh bluff above the deben estuary in suffolk, england. The dig is a historical novel by john preston, published in may 2007, set in the context of the 1939 anglosaxon ship burial excavation at sutton hoo, suffolk. Cate blanchett sets her sights on sutton hoo drama the dig. This is a good source for those who need good photograp hs and descriptions of the individual artifacts and less focus on the actual dig. Pretty, the widowed owner of the farm, has had her hunch confirmed that the mounds on her land hold buried treasure.
I am a lover of medieval history and found the book to be engaging even though little is said about 7th england, it still feels present like the dead in a graveyard. Archaeological contractors, museum of london archaeology mola were appointed especially for this work and brought their specialised experience and expertise with them for. John prestons recreation of the sutton hoo dig the greatest anglosaxon discovery ever in britain brilliantly and comically dramatizes three months of intense. Reimagining the sutton hoo dig, the greatest anglosaxon archaeological discovery on british soil, john preston brilliantly dramatizes three months of intense activity on a small estate when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in. The dig was the first step amongst the many things we have planned on the site as part of our project, releasing the sutton hoo story. This fictional recreation of the famed sutton hoo dig follows three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in equal measure. A visitor centre has been opened, and visitors are now welcome. The dig is an account of the 1939 excavations at sutton hoo, suffolk, on the. This site is best known for the anglosaxon burial mounds that were discovered during the first half of the 20th century, including a magnificent ship burial, which is popularly believed to have belonged to an anglosaxon king. A fictionalised presentation of the true story of the discovery and excavation of the sutton hoo treasures. Explore the atmospheric seventhcentury royal burial ground as you discover the history and mystery of what lay beneath the. Basil brown found a longboat packed with gems in sutton hoo, suffolk in 1939. Sutton hoo is one of the most important historical sites of great britain.
How the eccentric who uncovered britains greatest anglo saxon treasure trove was robbed of glory by snobbery. Spears, dishes, coins, armour, and a stringed instrument called a lyre were found inside the ship. The magnificent treasures of sutton hoo, the final resting. Set on the eve of wwii, the dig follows a wealthy widow mulligan who hires an amateur archaeologist fiennes to excavate the burial mounds on her sutton hoo estate. As the dig proceeds, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary find.
He dug mound 2 in his first season, uncovering a robbedout. The name derives from the old english sutton south farmstead and hoo someone who lives on a spur of a hill. In 1939 a series of mounds at sutton hoo in england revealed their astounding contents. The treasure ship of sutton hoo national geographic. Near the river deben in suffolk, at sutton hoo, are eleven mounds or barrows dating back to the 7th century.
Netflix announces the full cast of the dig adaptation. Filming gets underway in suffolk this month for the hollywood blockbuster the dig a feature film for netflix based on the world famous discovery of the saxon burial ship found at sutton hoo. We have studied places from all over the world, from the valley of the kings in egypt to the mississippian mounds and even parts of stonehenge. Cate blanchett sets her sights on sutton hoo drama the dig this article is more than 6 years old oscarwinning star of blue jasmine in talks to play amateur archaeologist in. In a novel based on the excavations at sutton hoo, the searchers expose as much about themselves as they do the past. Hoo ship burial by angela care evans is all the regular reader needs to discover the details surrounding the sutton hoo digs. The burial, one of the richest germanic burials found in europe, contained a ship fully equipped for the afterlife but with no body and threw light on the wealth and contacts of early anglosaxon kings. The dig is a historical novel by john preston, published in may 2007, set in the context of the 1939 anglosaxon ship burial excavation at sutton hoo, suffolk, england. Angela care evans book the sutton hoo shipburial is very similar to brucemitfords handbook in many ways although it gives much more attention to the individual artifacts from mound one. The new sutton hoo movie, called the dig, that is due to be released on netflix is going to tell the real story behind one of britains greatest archaeological discoveries.
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