Time Team at Sutton Hoo

Time Team returned to Sutton Hoo in June 2024 to begin the first phase of a much larger research project. The aim is to understand much more about the prehistoric and early medieval history of the site, which is famous for the Great Ship Burial discovered there in 1939, which changed our understanding of Anglo-Saxon life.

Working in partnership with the National Trust, FAS Heritage and over 80 volunteers from all over the world, Time Team has been busy digging test pits, excavating, metal-detecting and processing finds in what has been the most intensive period of excavation at Sutton Hoo since the 2000s - but what was discovered?

Lost evidence of a famous 6th century artefact

Missing pieces of a 6th century Byzantine bucket have been uncovered at Sutton Hoo, following four weeks of careful excavation and metal detecting in Garden Field.

Specialist archaeologists, conservators and volunteers from Time Team, the National Trust and FAS Heritage have all been involved in the project, which has included digging test pits, excavating, metal-detecting and processing finds.

Time Team used a wide range of advanced technology, led by geophysical surveys provided by John Gater of SUMO Geophysics, as well as XRF - or X-Ray Fluorescence, a type of chemical and elemental analysis.

This enabled archaeologists and conservators to confirm that the fragments discovered in Garden Field earlier this week are part of the 6th century Bromeswell Bucket - complete with decorated figures that match those on the original find.

What is the Bromeswell bucket?

The first fragments of the Bromeswell bucket were uncovered at Sutton Hoo in 1986, when the Tranmers were living here, with further pieces unearthed in 2012. Since then, each fragment has been painstakingly cleaned, re-shaped and mounted to show how it would have looked.

Letterforms used within the bucket’s design suggest it was made in the 6th century, meaning it was already a hundred years old when it arrived here at Sutton Hoo. It's thought to have originated from Antioch in modern Turkey, which was then part of the Byzantine Empire.

The bucket is constructed out of copper alloy and depicts a North African hunting scene, featuring lions and a hunting dog. It is now on display in the High Hall exhibition, where it is on long term loan from Annie Tranmer Charitable Trust.

As well as uncovering additional pieces of the bucket, this year's project has also confirmed that other fragments, already in the National Trust's collection, are also part of the bucket.

Angus Wainwright, Regional Archaeologist for the National Trust, said: “Using Time Team’s specialist technology, including XRF, we’ve been able to confirm that some of the other fragments already held in our collection are in fact part of the same artefact.

"Thanks to closer inspection, we now believe that the bucket had been previously damaged and then repaired. In-depth analysis of the metals suggest it might even have been soldered back together.”

What happens now?

This year's dig is part of a longer term project between Time Team, FAS Heritage and the National Trust.

This particular discovery is just one of several finds uncovered at Sutton Hoo over the past four weeks, with more to be revealed in a Time Team documentary special early next year, which will be presented by Sir Tony Robinson.

The entirety of Garden Field has now been metal detected and the items recovered from this year’s dig have been recorded in 3D. Over 80 volunteers took part in the project, including some of Time Team's Patreon sponsors, who came from all over the world to dig a series of test pits in Riverview Field, before sifting the spoil to search for finds that could uncover details of the site’s prehistoric history.

All the finds will now be sent away for processing and cataloguing before returning to Sutton Hoo at a later date.

Time Team

Time Team have been documenting this unique investigation as it's unfolded, sharing regular updates on their YouTube and social media channels. The most recent update can be viewed here, ahead of a documentary special presented by Sir Tony Robinson to be released next year.

Full details of the coverage and documentary release dates will be confirmed in a future announcement.

The research project complements a separate, ongoing Time Team documentary, already in development, filming the Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company’s reconstruction of the ship at the centre of the site’s story.