Digital copy of view of iron shears found in Saxon bag, excavations by Brian Hope-Taylor 1948-49.

Description Digital copy of view of iron shears found in Saxon bag, excavations by Brian Hope-Taylor 1948-49.

Date 1948 to 1949

Collection Papers of Brian Hope-Taylor, archaeologist, Cambridge, England

Catalogue Number SC 770701

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of E 33669 CN

Scope and Content Iron shears from grave, Farthing Down, Surrey These iron shears were discovered in the largest barrow on the site. They were found inside the remains of a bag, together with a bone comb, a bone gaming piece and a shell. This grave had already been excavated in the 18th century and the only skeletal material that remained was that of a the skull of a 12-year-old child. Anglo-Saxon cemeteries are the best source of evidence on Anglo-Saxon life, as they often contain a wealth of grave goods. These remains also provide information on what was expected in the afterlife, as valued personal possessions appear to have been indicators of social hierarchies or groups within Anglo-Saxon society. Farthing Down is an Anglo-Saxon cemetery dating to the late 6th/early 7th century. In 1945 Brian Hope-Taylor discovered Romano-British field systems in the same area. This research led to the 1948-9 excavations at the Anglo-Saxon cemetery. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Accession Number 2001/164

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/770701

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap