Saturday, 30 January 2021

If Factual Films About Archology Appeal To You,

you may well like Netflix's new offering, 


called The Dig, the story is about the discovery at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, in Suffolk, England, it is the site of two early medieval cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1939, above the The Dig recreated the Sutton Hoo burial site, credit Netflix,

the film stars Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes and Lily James, the story is set in the late 1930s, it focuses on the real life figure of Edith Pretty (played by Mulligan), a widow with an interest in history living near the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, above Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes as Edith Pretty and Basil Brown in The Dig, credit Netflix,



the helmet is one of the most important finds at Sutton Hoo photo credit Geni CC BY-SA 4.0, it is thought the ship was the final resting place of King Rædwald. Those hoping to see a body were disappointed – anything organic dissolved long ago. Soil samples revealed that even the bones had been eaten away by natural acid, BBC News notes the dig revealed “263 finds of gold, garnet, silver, bronze, enamel, iron, wood, bone, textile, feathers and fur.” Why was it so significant? Not only was it a spectacular find, but it changed perceptions on Anglo Saxon England, the materials in the chamber came from across the globe, broadening the scope of what was thought to be a less sophisticated civilization. As depicted in the film and quoted by the Times, archaeologist Charles Phillips refers to an image of “marauding barterers”, Sutton Hoo made a big splash in archaeological circles. However the Nazi menace meant the general public didn’t find out about the remarkable story till 1951. The treasures were secreted in a London Underground tunnel, as experts waited for the coast to clear, now here is an amazing thing, Pretty could have reaped the rewards, instead she donated the items to the British Museum, I am so looking forward to watching this film, it is just my cup of tea.


No comments:

Post a Comment