Published by The Sutton Hoo Society Saxon No. 57 July 2013 Ipswich Museum acquires the Rendlesham Collection After many months of fundraising, Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service Foxhall Road, Ipswich. Later in 1938 and was delighted to be able to complete the purchase shortly before last Christmas 1939 Basil Brown undertook the famous of the first part of a nationally important collection of finds from Rendlesham, excavations at Sutton Hoo, the finds from near Woodbridge, in Suffolk for the collections at Ipswich Museum. The finds the 1938 season being in Ipswich Museum. are the result of a programme of systematic metal detecting of a large area of More recently the museum has acquired arable farmland which commenced in 2008 and is due to be completed this the finds from the high status cemetery site summer. Here the collection is described by PHILIP J. WISE, Collections and at Coddenham, near Ipswich. In 2012 the Curatorial Manager of Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service. nationally significant finds from the Anglo- Saxon town of Ipswich recovered during The Rendlesham Collection is outstanding fragment of a silver wrist clasp, a cosmetic a series of major excavations in the 1970s in terms of its quality and composition. implement, a girdle hanger, three finger and 1980s, including the Buttermarket, This collection covers a broad date range, rings, five hooked tags, four Late Saxon were deposited at Ipswich Museum by including Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval strap ends, three spangles, twelve mounts, Suffolk County Council Archaeological and Post-Medieval finds, although of three pins, one stud and two weights. Service. Ipswich Museum also continues these the Anglo-Saxon finds are the most Among the highly significant and very to acquire individual Anglo-Saxon objects, archaeologically important. The Anglo- rare elements of the collection are 6th and usually Treasure items, as these become Saxon coinage in particular is notable, 7th century coin weights, indicating that available; most recently in 2011 a gold and both for the total number (40) and types of this was the site of high-value transactions garnet pendant of Anglo-Saxon date from gold and silver coinage represented. Both in bullion currency, and evidence of fine the Halesworth area of Suffolk. continental and English issues are present, metalworking which includes precious- In the near future a small group of the latter originating in the kingdoms of metal waste and unfinished or failed artefacts and coins from the Rendlesham Kent and the East Saxons as well as East castings. There are clear links between Collection will go on display at Ipswich Anglia. Several items may be regarded as items in the collection and the contents Museum. A larger selection will be high status objects, including a complete of the royal burial mound excavated in featured in the new permanent archaeology gold pin, a silver sword mount, and a gold 1939 at Sutton Hoo, only a few miles gallery created as part of the major bead from a woman’s necklace. Other items from Rendlesham, and the internationally redevelopment of Ipswich Museum due to are foreign imports such as two brooches important Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo- take place over the next few years. from France, a coin weight of Byzantine- Saxon gold metalwork found in 2009. Further groups of finds from the type from the eastern Mediterranean The Anglo-Saxons have been a subject Rendlesham Collection will become and a fragment of a Coptic, or Egyptian, of study and collecting activity at Ipswich available in the near future and it is bronze vessel. The Anglo-Saxon finds also Museum since 1906 when Nina Frances intended to purchase the entire collection, include ten brooches, eighteen buckles, a Layard excavated a cemetery site at or as much as the available finances will allow. Fundraising is therefore continuing for at least another twelve months. The acquisition of the Rendlesham Collection is highly appropriate for Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service on grounds of provenance and relevance as well as the artistic merit and rarity of many of the items in the collection. This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to preserve for future generations archaeological evidence from the dawn of English history. The purchase of the Rendlesham Collection A complete Anglo-Saxon gold pin in the has been made possible by generous grants A Merovingian tremissis in the Rendlesham Rendlesham Collection decorated with an from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Art Collection, which is a unique type of 7th opposing pair of birds’ heads and dated to Fund, the Friends of the Ipswich Museums, the century date. c. 620-720 (Photos: Suffolk County Council Headley Trust and the Sutton Hoo Society. Archaeological Service). The wolf-coats in Sweden Wulfheodenas on the mounds of Old Uppsala (photo: Vince and Grace Evans; all other photos, Lindsay Kerr). Formed six years ago, Wulfheodenas is England’s only re-enactment group dedicated to recreating aspects of the 6th-7th centuries. Their name is the Old English equivalent of the Old Norse ulfheðnar, meaning ‘wolf-coats’. Largely based at Sutton Hoo, many of its twenty-five recruits are also members of the Sutton Hoo Society. They provided a spectacular start to the Society’s 2011 conference, Sutton Hoo: a Swedish Perspective in Ipswich, where the academic speakers suggested they should visit them in Sweden. So in May this year, sixteen members of the group made the trip to Uppsala, described here by PAUL MORTIMER, alias Raedwald. On the morning of Monday 13th found mainly on helmets from Sweden, tour of the current archaeological dig by May, the group presented itself to an Sutton Hoo and the Staffordshire Hoard. Jonas Wikborg and his team, and then invited audience of academics at Gamla I gave the final offering, Misenlicu‘ John Ljungkvist showed us the significant Uppsala, by marching into the room Þing or Various Things’, giving some sites of Gamla Uppsala. Later on, the and loudly proclaiming their presence. idea of the items we could not take to group mingled with the public and gave This was followed by three members Sweden, as well as an account of remaking an impromptu presentation in the theatre of Wulfheodenas giving presentations, the Sutton Hoo whetstone and a new of Gamla Uppsala museum. Throughout followed by question and answer sessions. replica of the Mound 1 sword that I had the day we were looked after handsomely Stephen Pollington spoke first, on Ingwine‘ commissioned. Dave Roper, the maker of by Fredrik Käck the curator, Gunilla and Ynglingar: cultural and political the highest quality reproductions of the Beckholmen, Linda Klementsson and links between Eastern Sweden and Sutton Hoo regalia, some of which are other museum staff. Eastern Britain in the Early Mediaeval now in the Treasury at Sutton Hoo, was Tuesday 14th began with a trip to Period’. Matthew Bunker followed, with part of the expedition. So too was Vince Valsgärde, where we could appreciate ‘Hildewaépnum ond Heaðowaédum, Evans and his wife Grace. Vince, one of the beautiful setting and the wild flowers Weapons of Battle and War-dress: the best pattern-welded sword-makers in growing among the mounds. Later where iconography, archaeology and the world, lives in Hawaii and researched that day we visited the Gustavianum in reconstruction converge’, about the and made the blade for my new sword. Uppsala, where we were allowed to take imagery contained in the pressed plates Afterwards, the group was given a photographs of the exhibits and discuss 2 Saxon 57 John Ljungkvist guides the group around the mounds at Old Uppsala. Anne-Sofie Gräslund, Professor Emerita, Uppsala University (left) with Helena Hulth (centre) and Dave Roper (right). them with John Worley, the museum pictures in the museum, including the make sure that we got the best out of curator. John also arranged for us to Gold Room. our short stay. I would particularly like visit the museum’s store, where we were Some of our members went back to to thank Neil Price, Frands Herschend, shown many valuable items not currently England on Thursday morning, while the Anne-Sofie Gräslund and Torun on display. Throughout Tuesday we were rest of us were given a presentation about Zachrisson, all speakers at the Society’s guided by Peter Johnsson, a world class recent finds from the current dig at Gamla 2011 Conference, who helped make our swordsmith who lives in Uppsala and has a Uppsala. Then we went to look around the visit so memorable and gave us so much to deep interest in his country’s history. Upplandsmuseet (Upplands Museum) think about. Tuesday gave us a break from wearing in Uppsala. 6th-7th century garb, but we dressed up During our final afternoon in Sweden, Paul Mortimer regularly performs at Sutton again on Wednesday morning to go to the we were privileged to be taken to the Hoo and elsewhere as Raedwald. He is the Historiska Museet (The National History site of Ultuna by Helena Hulth. Not far author of Woden’s Warriors: warfare, beliefs, Museum) in Stockholm, where we did our from Uppsala, Ultuna once had some 700 arms and armour in the 6th and 7th centuries utmost to entertain the visitors, who were mounds, but unfortunately few of them in Northern Europe (Anglo-Saxon Books, mostly children from primary schools. were ever excavated properly and much 2012) and co-editor, with Stephen Pollington, They were very enthusiastic and interested information was lost over the years due to of Remaking the Sutton Hoo Stone: The in our costumes and most - probably all - building works. Nevertheless, dedicated Ansell-Roper reconstruction and its context, spoke some English. It was good fun and archaeologists like Helena have been able which will be published later this year by while in costume we were aided by Linda to make discoveries, and the work goes on.