Raven age 10 |
This picture shows a female grave (no. 15) from Wallingford in Oxfordshire as it was excavated in 1938. |
The grave contained:
pair of applied brooches with decorative fragments | pair of annular brooches (These brooches do not match) | ||
pin with a head | broken pin | ||
148 beads, mostly blue glass | fragments of antler possibly an amulet or needle case | ||
knife | iron plate, whose use is uncertain. |
The quantity of objects tells us that this woman, was either important or wealthy. From the skeleton it was estimated that she was about 20-21 years old.
She had two sets of brooches which is unusual. The pair of applied brooches were probably used to fasten her dress because they were found on her chest (see grave photograph). The other pair (annular brooches), which did not match, were probably used to fasten other pieces of clothing. She also had a large number of beads which would have been worn between the applied brooches.
The large pin with a head, from the position in the grave (see grave photograph), may have been used to fasten a cloak. We do not know the use of the other pin. We also do not know the use of the iron plate.
She also carried a knife, as all free Anglo-Saxon women would. Finally she had a needle case to carry her needles in, although it has been suggested this could have been some form of anumlet.
The position of the objects in this grave helps us understand how Anglo-Saxons may have worn these objects and the clothes they wore.