Firstly, Neil stated that he has produced an “archaeologically and anthropologically informed” military book, “Lawrence of Arabia’s War” based on a project he co-directed: The Great Arab Revolt Project (2006-14), based at Bristol University where he is a Research Fellow; his talk would be about both the project and modern conflict archaeology. Archaeologists can add information to the military sources, in this case the Arab Revolt which took place in the Middle East during WWI. As many participants in wars are illiterate, the result is that many encounters which take place go unrecorded, so archaeological traces are often the first indication that they actually happened. The archaeological investigation of the battle of the Little Big Horn in the USA added much to what was known about it. Archaeologists were called in by a Suffolk landowner worried about illegal metal detecting on his estate. However, over the past two decades metal detecting, as long as it comes under the control of the Treasure Act and the Portable Antiquities Scheme, has transformed our understanding of the early Anglo-Saxon period. Rendlesham, mentioned by Bede in his “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”, exemplifies this. The land in question lies beside the river Deben. The area consists of sandy soils dissected by estuarine rivers, part of the “Sandlings Province”, a known centre of power for Anglo-Saxon Royal families. After Sutton Hoo, some three miles from Rendlesham, was excavated, searches were made without success for the associated Royal palace. At Rendlesham, it was decided to recruit assistance from local metal detectorists who had been finding Anglo-Saxon material in the area. Although conjectured as a Royal site, Anglo-Saxon material previously found at Rendlesham, over an area of some 14 hectares, was not high status. In 2007, this changed. A new metal detector survey uncovered material consistent with a high status early Anglo-Saxon site. Between 2009 and 2014, with details being kept confidential, the survey was expanded over the full estate, an area of 150 hectares, 3km x 1¼km, with Suffolk County Council coordinating the survey and providing funding for recording etc. Survey results are being assessed and funding will be sought for publication.

Hand-held GPS was used and finds were linked to GIS. Magnetometry was carried out over 46 hectares, to try to find the core area of Anglo-Saxon activity. Of 3946 items, ranging from the Neolithic to early modern, a high percentage were Anglo-Saxon, although most were no longer in their original context. There were concentrations of Anglo-Saxon metalwork across c50 hectares, a lot of it 5th to early 8th century, but was it from disturbed burials - the result of ploughing – or perhaps from manuring with midden material? Which finds represented which processes? Some dated to right up to the Norman Conquest.

Magnetometry had suggested a Late Iron Age enclosure and medieval ditches, confirmed by some limited excavations. There were ploughed out Anglo-Saxon cremations and settlement deposits. The English Heritage national mapping programme – aerial photography combined with geophysics – detected cropmarks indicating a two-phase timber building, 33m x 10m, probably a major Anglo-Saxon timber hall, where finds including high quality metalwork and midden deposits had predicted it would be found.

A promontory 10m above Ordnance Datum slopes down steeply to a narrow stream, a tributary of the river Deben. An early to middle Anglo-Saxon ditch perhaps marked the Western edge of the settlement. This had been back-filled and covered by a rich midden deposit, which had been heaped up against a palisade. The elite occupants of the hall must have lived in close proximity to the midden. Samples taken of the midden deposits indicated large-scale meat consumption: bones of young cattle, pig and sheep, plus mature cattle, probably for traction, also raptors (evidence of hawking?), horses, and well-fed dogs. There was a complex of buildings around the hall – “blobs” on the geophys were grubenhauser, foundations marked by postholes or slots. Nearby there was evidence of a workshop with high-status metalworking – gold and silver items, finished and unfinished items, manufacture for high status patrons – gift exchange between elites? On the other side of the stream, finds of 5th to 6th century lower status items such as dress accessories, usually found in cremation burials, might indicate ploughed out inhumations and cremations, indicating an extensive settlement, similar to that at Mucking.

On the site there was also a significant late Roman element: an assemblage of Roman material including the last Roman coinage to reach Britain. Clipped silver coins – an official activity when silver was getting scarce – perhaps indicate a continuation of Roman authority. Plus rare Germanic material, second quarter to middle 5th century - brooch types from Frankish Gaul indicate cultural contacts - hanging bowls, bowls from the Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine coins, large assemblages of 6th to 8th century coins, Merovingian coins plus sceattas: interregional contacts, with monetary transactions taking place over 150 years. Gold coins would not have been used for commercial transactions, but more probably for tribute and administrative payments to the elite, when they periodically visited their Rendlesham estate. A mix of high status and more mundane items indicates a social range, people serving and supporting an occasionally visiting elite as they moved from estate to estate. Examples of frequent finds, finished and unfinished, were bag catches and buckles, items perhaps made here for a wider population.

Yvonne Masson