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Image Credit: Oxford Cotswold Archaeology
Anglo Saxon Burial with Horse Found at Major Suffolk Excavation
Archaeologists working on one of Britain’s largest archaeological investigations have uncovered a high-status Anglo-Saxon burial in Suffolk, featuring a horse interred alongside two individuals. The discovery was made during extensive excavations carried out in advance of construction works linked to the Sizewell C nuclear power project.
The burial was found within one of 11 burial mounds dating to the 6th–7th centuries AD, placing it firmly within the same cultural horizon as elite East Anglian graves such as Sutton Hoo, Snape, and Prittlewell. The presence of a fully harnessed horse, weapons, and personal objects points to a “princely” burial tradition associated with power and status in early medieval England.
Due to the area’s acidic soil, organic material did not survive. Instead, archaeologists documented striking “sand skeletons”, where the outlines of bodies and grave goods were preserved as negative impressions in the soil. These silhouettes provide rare visual evidence of burial practices despite the loss of bone and wood.
The burial mound forms part of a much wider archaeological landscape uncovered along the East Anglian coast, revealing activity from the Neolithic through the medieval period and into the modern era. Among other discoveries at nearby sites are Neolithic structures, Bronze Age cremation burials, rare Iron Age wooden objects, Roman artefacts, and medieval items linked to long-distance travel and devotion.
The excavation program, involving hundreds of archaeologists across dozens of sites, is offering an unprecedented view of thousands of years of human life in coastal Suffolk. Many of the most significant finds are being carefully recorded and conserved for future study, with selected artefacts also presented to the public through exhibitions and television features.
Published on: 12-01-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: BBC