archaeology adventuresAnglo-Saxon

at Sutton Hoo

Your Anglo-Saxonarchaeology adventure

begins here

In the summer of 1939, a discovery was made beneath the earth in a quiet corner of Suffolk. Archaeologists dug and brushed away layers of sandy soil to reveal the shape of a ship beneath a mound at Sutton Hoo. In the centre of the ship, they found a burial chamber for an Anglo-Saxon king, full of the most extraordinary treasures.

This activity pack is here to help you discover some more about these fascinating finds.

This week’sactivities include:

Design your own Anglo-Saxon helmet

Write a story about an Anglo-Saxon treasure

Coming up:Pack two – 11 February (Roman archaeology adventures at Chedworth)Pack three – 25 February (Medieval archaeology adventures at Fountains Abbey)

Design your ownAnglo-Saxon helmet

One of the most famous treasures found at Sutton Hoo is a warrior’s helmet. It was broken into more than 100 fragments when it was discovered and took many years of work by the British Museum to piece it together again.

Why not design and decorate your very own Anglo-Saxon helmet using the instructions below?

Get startedCut out the helmet template and attach a straw or strong pieceof card to the back, so you can hold the mask.

ResearchVisit the British Museum website and the Sutton Hoo website to see what the reconstructed helmet looks like now, as well as replicas of what it would have looked like during the Anglo-Saxon period. Don’t forget to note down any inspiration you find.

nationaltrust.org.uk/suttonhoobritishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1939-1010-93

Time to decorate!Think about how you’re going to decorate your helmet – you could sketch out some ideas first.

Maybe you could collect objects from your garden or local park. Or perhaps you might use recycled materials like old magazines to create a collage. You could even colour the helmet in with pens and pencils.

A replica of the helmet found at Sutton Hoo

Write a story about anAnglo-Saxon treasureAnother of the treasures found near Sutton Hoo was an Anglo-Saxon brooch. In Anglo-Saxon times, brooches were used to tie cloaks or dresses together. If you were poor, you may have had a brooch made from a cheaper metal like copper alloy, but if you were rich, you may have had agold brooch with lots of decoration on it.

Can you imagine how it was made, who bought it and what the person who wore it was like? Don’t forget to include details about what it meant to them. You could even describe how they lost it.

Using the image for inspiration, write a story about the broochthat was found near Sutton Hoo.

© National Trust 2021. The National Trust is a registered charity no. 205846.© National Trust Images/ Angus Wainwright/ Sue James

If you enjoyed this activity pack, you can discover more archaeology activities by visiting the Young Archaeologists Club at

Dig in!

yac-uk.org