Archaeologists to explore ‘geophysical mysteries’ in new dig at Sutton Hoo

A new dig is to be carried out at Sutton Hoo, which is known for the Anglo-Saxon ship burial discovered in 1939.

Archaeologists hope to build a greater understanding of the Suffolk site and learn more about an Anglo-Saxon cemetery which was discovered in 2000 during construction of a visitor centre.

The National Trust is working with TV and online show Time Team on the two-year research project, with a dig planned to begin June.

The conservation charity said the project will build on work by Time Team in 2021 and 2022, when ground penetrating radar surveys were carried out of the Royal Burial Ground and Garden Field.

Angus Wainwright, regional archaeologist for the National Trust, said: “Time Team’s geophysical survey identified several mysterious features in Garden Field.

“We want to determine if they are archaeology or geological features.

“To do this we are carefully planning for an archaeological dig in June.

“Garden Field has an extraordinary amount of archaeology in it, from prehistoric fields and possible burial mounds through to Roman settlements and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, but who knows what else may be hidden there.

“We know from previous work in this field, it’s likely we will find prehistoric flint tools and fragments of Anglo-Saxon objects from burials scattered through the plough soil, but working out what the mysterious geophysical anomalies are will be our focus.