The construction of an electricity project in the United Kingdom has resulted in several important archaeological finds since 2020, shedding light on chapters of ancient history and the people who lived during that time.
A particularly interesting discovery was recently made in Lincolnshire in eastern England, where archaeologists uncovered a grave that is at least 1,400 years old.
The Anglo-Saxon burial site contained the remains of more than 20 people as well as a range of tools, jewelry and pottery, British archeology organization Wessex Archeology announced this week.
Anglo-Saxon communities existed throughout most of what is now England in the early Middle Ages. This particular burial site was built in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, the organization said, citing experts.
According to Wessex Archaeology, among the remains discovered were those of a teenage girl and a child lying on their side with the child hidden behind the teenager. The older girl was buried with two gold pendants and a silver pendant around her head or chest, as well as two turquoise glass beads and a ring-shaped brooch. Some of the discoveries were featured in a feature on the BBC series Digging for Britain this week.
Professor Alice Roberts with osteologists Jacqueline McKinley and Ceri Boston from Wessex Archeology in the Digging for Britain tent with two Anglo-Saxon burials found during excavations for Viking Link. / Image credit: © Wessex Archaeology
“Although there are many Anglo-Saxon cemeteries known in Lincolnshire, most were excavated decades ago when the focus was on the grave goods rather than the people buried there,” Jacqueline McKinley, the senior osteoarchaeologist at Wessex Archaeology, said in a statement. Osteoarchaeology is the study of archaeological human remains.
“Excitingly, we can leverage several scientific advances here, including isotope and DNA analysis,” McKinley said. “This gives us a much better understanding of the population, from their mobility to their genetic background to their diet.”
Special forensic analysis will be carried out to determine the relationship, if any, between the teenage girl and the child. Wessex Archeology said the research will also “help identify family relationships and wider genetic connections both within this community and between others in the region, as well as the movement of people in society as a whole”. Experts will also examine the layout of the old cemetery and the artifacts found within to learn more about the community's culture and its economy.
“Over the course of this research we hope to significantly increase our understanding of Anglo-Saxon life and death in the region,” said Wessex Archaeology.
Turquoise glass beads found in the old cemetery. / Photo credit: Wessex Archaeology
The cemetery was originally uncovered by workers digging along part of the construction route for Viking Link, a huge energy project aimed at creating a cable line between England and Denmark so that the two countries can share electricity. The metro line will mainly run through the North Sea, but parts of it will also run on land to connect converter stations. In the UK the route will end at a converter station in Lincolnshire.
Since 2020, 50 archaeological sites have been discovered along the land-based cable route. Notable finds include a Bronze Age wheelbarrow and a Romano-British farmstead. Wessex Archeology still considered the cemetery to be the “most impressive discovery” of all.
Peter Bryant, who led the project for Viking Link, said the discovery of so many historic sites and artifacts on the cable route was unexpected.
“It was surprising how many artifacts we found along the entire route,” Bryant said in a statement. “It was very interesting and exciting to help uncover the hidden treasures that lay dormant for hundreds of years in such a careful way. It was a pleasure to work with Wessex Archeology on this journey through time.”
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