Prized ‘Bucket of Death' was stuffed with remains of ‘dead VIP' in bombshell Anglo Saxon Sutton Hoo discovery
A MYSTERIOUS bucket found at Sutton Hoo in 1986 was stuffed with the remains of a dead VIP, archaeologists believe.
This "bucket of death" contains the cremated remnants of both human and animal bones – solving a decades-old mystery.
Advertisement
8
The Bromeswell bucket is a Byzantine copper-alloy contained that was stuffed with human remains
Credit: PA
8
The 'Bucket of Death' is remarkably well preserved despite dating back 1,400 to 1,500 years
Credit: PA
8
Archaeologists unearthed the base of the bucket in the most recent discovery at Sutton Hoo
Credit: FAS Heritage
Archaeologists say that the human remains found inside the posh Byzantine bucket belonged to an "important person".
The so-called Bromeswell Bucket was discovered at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, an archaeological treasure trove with two major Anglo-Saxon burial sites
dating
back around 1,500 years.
The site is famous for its
Pieces of the copper-alloy bucket have been
Advertisement
Read more on archaeology
The latest find was made by TV show Time Team working with the National Trust and FA Heritage.
"Because of its proximity to fragments discovered much earlier, we had hoped this year's dig would yield more of the Bromeswell Bucket," said Angus Wainwright, of the National Trust.
"Which originated from the Byzantine empire in the 6th century – around a hundred years before the ship and its extraordinary treasure was put to rest."
Wainwright continued: "Thanks to closer inspection, we now believe that the bucket had been previously damaged and then repaired.
Advertisement
Most read in Science
"In-depth analysis of the metals suggest it might even have been soldered back together."
The bucket contains a "very norther, very Germanic cremation", according to Time Team archaeologist Helen Geake.
'Once in a century' Pompeii discovery as ancient luxury SPA is saved from ashes with thermal baths & stunning mosaic
"It epitomises the strangeness of Sutton Hoo - it has ship burials, horse burials, mound burials and now bath-bucket burials," she told the
BBC
.
DIG IN!
The discovery was made at Garden Field, which has now been fully metal detected.
Advertisement
All of the items found at the site have been recorded in 3D and will be processed – so more discoveries might be on the horizon.
The bucket itself has been a longstanding mystery for scientists.
8
Sutton Hoo is an iconic archaeological site in Britain, and is the location of a well-preserved Anglo Saxon ship burial
Credit: Getty - Contributor
8
This replica shows an Anglo Saxon helmet like the ones found at Sutton Hoo
Credit: PA:Press Association
Advertisement
8
Replicas of the treasures found at Sutton Hoo show the craftsmanship of the people who used the site in Anglo Saxon times
Credit: PA:Press Association
It's decorated with a mysterious hunting scene that depicts naked warriors fighting with lions.
And it has an inscription in Greek that says: "Use this in good
health
, Master Count, for many happy years".
The latest dig unearthed the base of the bucket, which was packed with cremated remains.
Advertisement
"We knew that this bucket would have been a rare and prized possession back in Anglo-Saxon times, but it's always been a mystery why it was buried," Wainwright said.
8
Archaeologists have even recreated a replica of the Anglo Saxon burial ship found at Sutton Hoo
Credit: Alamy
"Now we know it was used to contain the remains of an important person in the Sutton Hoo community.
"I'm hopeful that further analysis will uncover more information about this very special burial."
Advertisement
DECADES-LONG MYSTERY
The bucket has been found in several parts, with the first discovery made in 1986.
More parts were unearthed in 2012, with a fresh lot discovered in the latest Time Team digs.
SUTTON HOO EXPLAINED
Here's what you need to know...
Sutton Hoo is an important archaeological site.
It's the location of Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries.
The site is located near Woodbridge in Suffolk, UK.
Excavations began in 1938 with the discovery of a ship burial packed with Anglo-Saxon treasures.
Countless artefacts have been found at the site since then – with treasures still turning up today.
The name Sutton Hoo comes from Old English with Sutton meaning "southern farmstead" and Hoo referring to "shaped like a heel spur".
Picture Credit: Getty Images
The bucket's base contained a burned comb with remarkably well-preserved
teeth
.
Archaeologists believe it was likely made from an antler belonging to a deer.
Advertisement
The human remains are believed to belong to a high-status individual, while the cremated animal bones have been linked to an animal that's "larger than a pig", like a horse.
This may have been a way of showcasing the elite status of the person whose remains were stored in the bucket.
8
Sutton Hoo is the site of Anglo Saxon burial mounds
Credit: Alamy
Human remains include parts of a skull and ankle bone.
Advertisement
Details on the age and sex of the individual haven't been revealed, by archaeologists hope to probe the comb for long-lost DNA that may shed light on the person inside the bucket.
"This year's dig has been fantastic, and we've really been able to piece together part of a 40-year mystery and unearth a new chapter in the Sutton Hoo story," said Time Team creator Tim Taylor.
He described Sutton Hoo as "England's Valley of the Kings'."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Sunday World
Preparatory work begins ahead of mass grave excavation at mother and baby home
The St Mary's home for unmarried mothers and their children was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order of Catholic nuns A memorial left at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway, at the start of pre-excavation works (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA) Pre-excavation work on the site of a notorious former mother and baby home in Tuam in Co Galway has begun. The preparatory phase, which will last around four weeks, comes ahead of the full-scale excavation of the site to try to identify the remains of infants who died at the home between 1925 and 1961. In 2014, research led by local historian Catherine Corless indicated that 796 babies and young children were buried in a sewage system at the Co Galway institution across that time period. The St Mary's home for unmarried mothers and their children was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order of Catholic nuns. The preparatory phase is due to last for four weeks (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA) In 2021, Irish premier Micheal Martin delivered an apology on behalf of the state for the treatment of women and children who were housed in mother and baby homes across Ireland. The Bon Secours Sisters also offered a 'profound apology' after acknowledging the order had 'failed to protect the inherent dignity' of women and children in the Tuam home. Speaking about the work on Monday, Mr Martin said: 'it's very significant day in respect of the excavation in Tuam. 'It's a very, very difficult harrowing story and situation. We have to wait to see what unfolds now as a result of the excavation.' The work at the burial site, which is being undertaken by the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT), will involve exhumation, analysis, identification if possible, and re-interment of the remains at the site. The pre-excavation work includes the installation of a 2.4-metre hoarding around the perimeter. Memorial candles at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA) The site will now be subject to security monitoring on a 24-hour basis to ensure the forensic integrity of the site during the excavation. The excavation is anticipated to last two years. Ahead of the preparatory work, Daniel MacSweeney, who leads the ODAIT, described the planned excavation as 'unique and incredibly complex'. One of Mr MacSweeney's main responsibilities will be to ensure any remains that are uncovered are re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way. A memorial left at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway, at the start of pre-excavation works (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA) News in 90 seconds - 16th June 2025
Irish Examiner
15-06-2025
- Irish Examiner
Mum killed in India crash was ‘reluctant to go' and feared leaving her son
A mother who died in the Air India plane crash had been reluctant to travel and feared leaving her young son behind for the first time, a colleague has said. Abdhiben Patel, known as Abdhi, 40, was killed when flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. She didn't want to go. She wasn't excited. It was a sense of duty. Her mum was unwell, but you could tell it was weighing on her She had flown to India just two weeks earlier to care for her elderly mother, but was hesitant to make the trip and leave her eight-year-old son behind. 'She didn't want to go,' said Atif Karim, 45, her colleague and close friend at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton. 'She told me, 'I just don't like being away from him'. It was her first time leaving him, and she was very nervous.' 'She wasn't excited,' he added. 'It was a sense of duty. Her mum was unwell, but you could tell it was weighing on her.' Abdhi Patel who was on the Gatwick-bound Air India flight (Atif Karim/PA) Mr Karim, a father of two, said recent tensions between India and Pakistan, which led to flight cancellations and uncertainty, had added to Mrs Patel's worries. 'All the flights were getting cancelled,' he said. 'It didn't feel like the right time.' Because her husband Pankaj worked night shifts, Mrs Patel was inseparable from their son Meer, he said. She was totally devoted to him - her entire world revolved around him 'She kept saying how shy and reserved he is, how attached they were,' he added. 'She was totally devoted to him – her entire world revolved around him.' Mrs Patel had planned to return to work on Saturday. The day before the crash, she had messaged Mr Karim to check in about a task and offer to help finish it remotely. 'She said, 'Do you want me to finish that?' and later, 'Don't worry, I'll sort it,'' he said. 'That was the last I heard.' Originally from Gujarat, she moved to the UK in 2012 and joined the salon in 2016. She worked her way up over the years and had been managing the business for the last three. She was bubbly, kind, always smiling - she had a way of putting people at ease and always took a genuine interest in their lives 'She was the most diligent, reliable worker I've ever had,' Mr Karim said. 'But more than that, she was our friend.' 'She was bubbly, kind, always smiling – she had a way of putting people at ease and always took a genuine interest in their lives.' 'She got on with everyone and left a real mark on the people she worked with and the customers she served. 'Yesterday, we had people coming in and crying their eyes out.' Inside the salon, he said the mood has changed, Mr Karim said. 'There's no music playing anymore,' he said. The staff are devastated. My colleague burst into tears when she walked in. Everyone's just heartbroken 'The staff are devastated. My colleague burst into tears when she walked in. 'Everyone's just heartbroken.' Mrs Patel's husband and son are now in India, where efforts are still ongoing to identify victims and return remains to grieving families. Authorities have since begun handing over remains after identifying some through DNA testing. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. Only one passenger – a 40-year-old British man – survived. A fundraiser has since been launched to support Mrs Patel's grieving husband and son. Read More Girls orphaned when father died in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes
The Irish Sun
12-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Urgent Cobra meeting on Air India plane disaster after 53 Brits including ‘sole survivor' among passengers
A COBRA meeting chaired by David Lammy was urgently held after the Air India plane crash today. CCTV footage showed the doomed Boeing 787 taking off before crashing in a fireball while carrying 242 people. Advertisement 2 David Lammy chaired an urgent COBRA meeting on the disaster today Credit: PA 2 CCTV footage showed the doomed Boeing 787 taking off before crashing in a fireball Credit: Twitter It appeared to lose power in Ahmedabad in the west of India. Footage shows the plane take to the sky - before it appears to stop climbing and then plummet back down to earth. The flight then Police are now hunting through the rubble and wreckage for any survivors. Advertisement The plane was flying to London Gatwick airport and was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew - including 53 Brits. In a statement the airline said: "Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick was involved in an accident on 12 June 2025. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest opportunity." Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking Out of the 242 on board, 169 were Indian travellers, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals alongside the Brits. King Charles said he was "desperately shocked" by Thursday's air crash in India, sending "prayers and deepest possible sympathies" to the families of those affected. Second-by-second breakdown of Air India jet disaster from mayday call to horror crash – all within a minute of takeoff "My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning," the monarch wrote on Instagram, calling it a "heartbreaking and traumatic time". Brit couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek are believed to have been the plane and had posted about their "magical experience" in India. Advertisement Also believed dead is a British family from Gloucester: Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara. Hours before the crash, the Greenlaw-Meeks - who run the Wellness Foundry, a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio - posted on Instagram about their "mind-blowing" trip. Fiongal said: "So it's our last night in India and we have had a magical experience really, there have been some quite mind-blowing things that have happened." Jamie added: "We really have been on quite a journey, and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel, and we have just had the most delicious Tali food. Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun "It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you." A final video showed the pair - who have been together since 2019 - sitting in the airport ahead of their 10-hour flight back to the UK.
