Join Dan Snow as he explores this stunning set of discoveries in our brand new documentary ‘Digging Up the Dark Ages’ on History Hit TV.
While working on the HS2 high speed railway project in the UK, archaeologists made discoveries of national significance, uncovering a large Anglo-Saxon burial site in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Almost three quarters of the graves found contain high quality grave goods, suggesting the site was the final resting place of a wealthy Anglo-Saxon community.
History Hit has been at the heart of this discovery, with an exclusive documentary exploring the magnificent finds. Intriguingly, the items uncovered are dated to the 5th and 6th century, a period with significant gaps in the historical and archaeological record. The site contained 138 graves, with 141 inhumation burials and 5 cremation burials – one of the largest Anglo-Saxon burial grounds ever uncovered in Britain.
The discoveries made by HS2 archaeologists will contribute a significant amount to understanding how people in Anglo-Saxon Britain lived their lives, and what culture and society was like at that time.
Up Next in Everyday Life
-
The Life and Times of Avi Shlaim
Avi Shlaim is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at St Antony's College, Oxford. Here he discusses his life - from his birth in Baghdad, to studying in Britain and his ongoing historical research.
-
Working (more than) 9 to 5 - The Labo...
Dr Eleanor Janega investigates one of the least recorded aspects of medieval life - working women. But dig deep and you can find the evidence - proving the medieval period is a fascinating window into the true history of women…and work!
Eleanor takes on the jobs and businesses of real medieval ...
-
Ireland: War and Revolution
Between 1919 and 1921, Ireland played host to a long and bloody guerrilla conflict between British state forces and Irish republican guerrillas, in the form of Irish Volunteers or the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The conflict would completely transform the political landscape in Ireland.
In this...
63 Comments