Time Team to dig for more archaeology in Sutton Hoo

Harvey Mills Sir Tony Robinson in a vehicle — Sir Tony Robinson will visit the Sutton Hoo site to try an unearth more archaeology

A major research project will take place to “reach the undisturbed archaeology” at a site famous for unearthing an Anglo Saxon burial ship.

The National Trust, which owns the site, said the two-year research project at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk, will aim to grow its understanding of the land.

The area is famous for the discovery of an Anglo Saxon burial ship in 1939, which has been described as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

Angus Wainwright, a national trust archaeologist, said: “We can’t wait to see what this next chapter will bring.”

MERCIE LACK/NATIONAL TRUST/PA WIRE Archaeological dig of Sutton Hoo boat — The Anglo Saxon ship burial was discovered at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge

The excavation will be filmed by Time Team as a series exclusive for a documentary special, hosted by Sir Tony Robinson.

The project, which starts in June, will build on work carried out by Time Team in 2021 and 2023.

Mr Wainwright said previous work by Time Team identified mysterious features in Garden Field, Sutton Hoo.

“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.”

Netflix Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes in The Dig — The discovery in 1939 was fictionalised in the film The Dig, starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes

‘Solve mysteries’

The team said it hoped to discover evidence of the prehistory of the site and more information about an Anglo Saxon cemetery that was discovered in 2000, when the National Trust was building a visitor centre.

“The discovery of the Great Ship Burial in 1939 not only stunned the archaeological world but set the scene for further exploration.

“Later archaeological campaigns at Sutton Hoo helped solve mysteries left by the original dig and revealed more about life in the Anglo Saxon kingdom of East Anglia. We can’t wait to see what this next chapter will bring,” added Mr Wainwright.

The discovery in 1939, was fictionalised in the film The Dig, with Carey Mulligan starring as landowner Edith Pretty and Ralph Fiennes as archaeologist Basil Brown.

Tim Taylor, the creator and series producer of Time Team, said: “We are incredibly thrilled to expand our relationship with Sutton Hoo, delving deeper into the history of one of Britain’s most iconic sites.

“The story of Sutton Hoo has captured the world’s imagination, as we can see by the success of the award-winning film The Dig, and we hope to reveal yet another exciting chapter.”