Excavations at Rendlesham, Suffolk, 2021-2023: investigating an early medieval royal settlement

Abstract

Excavations undertaken through community archaeology on the early medieval settlement complex at Rendlesham in 2021–2023 provided an opportunity to test and enhance interpretations drawn from survey data, and in particular to investigate the physical structures and built environment of the settlement, its development and chronology, and its farming economy and environment. Major structures investigated included a timber great hall of the 7th to early 8th centuries and the perimeter ditch that enclosed the royal compound. A large faunal assemblage provides insights into animal husbandry, provisioning and consumption, and metalworking detritus confirms the presence of craftsmen working for elite patrons. Scientific dating complements the chronology inferred from metal-detected finds, and investigation of buried sediments in the river floodplain has established the immediate environment of the early medieval settlement and long-term human impacts in this part of the Deben valley. This presentation offers an oversight of the results and their implications, and considers the experience of significant public involvement in archaeological research.

The Medieval Seminar Series is sponsored by the World Archaeology Section at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and the British Museum. 

• The programme for the 2024-25 Institute of Archaeology/British Museum Medieval Seminar Series is available here»

Seminar Series Convenors:

• Sue Brunning (British Museum)
• Andrew Reynolds (Institute of Archaeology)

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