by Archaeologists from UCL have made an exciting discovery at Rendlesham, near Sutton Hoo in Suffolk—a potential pre-Christian temple dating back 1,400 years to the time of the East Anglian Kings. The temple was found during the Suffolk County Council’s Rendlesham Revealed community archaeology project, which aims to uncover the history of the royal settlement. Last year, the team unearthed the remains of a large timber royal hall, confirming the site’s significance as a royal settlement of the East Anglian Kings.
This year’s excavations have revealed even more evidence of royal occupation, including a mold used for casting decorative horse harnesses, similar to the ones discovered at the nearby princely burial ground at Sutton Hoo. These findings suggest a connection between the royal compound at Rendlesham and the wider region.
The excavation has shed new light on the size and complexity of the royal compound. It is now believed to be more than twice the size previously thought, encompassing a 1.5-kilometer-long perimeter ditch and an area of 15 hectares. This is equivalent to about 20 football pitches, making it a substantial and significant royal residence.
The discovery of the potential temple is particularly noteworthy. The building, measuring 10 meters in length and 5 meters in width, stood out due to its distinctive and robust foundations. It differs from other structures found on the site and bears similarities to temples or cult houses found elsewhere in England. This suggests that the temple may have been used for pre-Christian worship by the early Kings of the East Angles.
The site at Rendlesham has been identified as an East Anglian royal center by The Venerable Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. According to Bede, King Redwald, who died around AD 625 and is believed to have been buried at the famous Sutton Hoo ship burial, maintained a temple that had altars dedicated to both pre-Christian gods and Christ. While Bede does not specifically mention Rendlesham as the location of this temple, the archaeological discoveries support the historical accounts.
The significance of Rendlesham as a site of human settlement and activity is evident from its history. The archaeological findings indicate that the site has been occupied for over 6,000 years, from the fourth millennium BC to the present day. However, it reached its peak importance as a royal center during the 6th to 8th centuries AD.
The excavation also revealed a Second World War searchlight emplacement—a reminder of more recent history. The searchlight battery is recorded in U.S. Air Force aerial photography from December 1943.
The completion of the excavations marks the end of a three-year fieldwork program. Over 600 volunteers, including members of the local community, Suffolk Family Carers, Suffolk Mind, and local primary school children from Rendlesham, Eyke, and Wickham Market, have contributed to the project. The finds will now be analyzed, with provisional results expected in 2024.
Overall, the discoveries at Rendlesham have provided valuable insight into the power, wealth, and sophistication of the East Anglian Kings and the society they ruled. The potential temple is a remarkable find, offering rare evidence of pre-Christian beliefs and practices at a royal site. The archaeological revelations have cemented the international significance of Rendlesham’s history and its importance in understanding early England.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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