Lost Anglo-Saxon royal settlement discovered in Suffolk

Sutton Hoo is the site of two 6th and early 7th century cemeteries Credit: ITV News Anglia

A lost settlement which housed the Anglo-Saxon royalty who created the famous Sutton Hoo burial mounds has been unearthed in Suffolk.

Archaeologists say they have found conclusive evidence of the high-status settlement in fields near the village of Rendlesham.

It is thought fragments of gold jewellery, Saxon pennies and weights associated with trade, are evidence of the "the king's country-seat of Rendlesham" mentioned by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century.

Professor Christopher Scull, of Cardiff University and University College London said: "The survey has identified a site of national and indeed international importance for the understanding of the Anglo-Saxon elite and their European connections.

Detail of double plaque on purse lid from Sutton Hoo around 655 AD Credit: Detail of double plaque on purse lid. A.D. 655 Sutton Hoo

Sutton Hoo is the site of two 6th and early 7th century cemeteries, one of which contained an undisturbed ship burial including a wealth of artefacts and is considered one of the great discoveries of the 20th century.

It is widely believed that King Raedwald, ruler of the East Angles, was buried there.

It has long been thought that Kind Raedwald's hall stood in Rendlesham.

A team of mine-detector users have been working on the farmland for the last five years after landowner, Sir Michael Bunbury, became concerned about nighthawks.

It is widely believed that King Raedwald, ruler of the East Angles, was buried at Sutton Hoo. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Aerial photography, chemical analysis and geophysics were also used in the search.

The newly discovered 50-hectare sites is four miles north-east of Sutton Hoo

No remains of any royal palace or buildings have been found but the fragments of jewellery and coins have convinced archaeologists that it was the site of a royal village, the National Trust said.

Other items found include metal offcuts from a smith's workshop.

The newly discovered 50-hectare sites is four miles north-east of Sutton Hoo
A full-size replica section of the world famous Anglo-Saxon ship being hoisted by crane into place at Sutton Hoo in 2001 Credit: Andrew Parsons/PA Archive

The National Trust will host a small exhibition of about 70 finds beginning on Saturday at its Sutton Hoo visitor centre. The items will later be moved to Ipswich Museum.

Martin Payne, the National Trust's learning and interpretation officer at Sutton Hoo, said: "It is a unique and exciting opportunity to find out about how those kings and their dependants spent their days and lived their lives."