Sutton Hoo burials may have been British soldiers who fought in Byzantine army

Some extremely wealthy monarchs were interred with significant treasures.

In the sixth century AD.

The site was discovered in the late 1930s, uncovered a 27-metre oak burial boat, alongside Byzantine silverware and luxurious textiles.

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“Being buried with great honours doesn’t necessarily mean you were a member of the royal family," she said.

Fighting men," Dr Gittos said. "They were Roman soldiers.

In 575, the Byzantines were at a critical juncture, requiring extra personnel as they clashed with the Sasanian ​Empire ​of Persia, prompting them to initiate a recruitment drive across Europe. A force known as the foederati was established, made up of individuals from both sides of the Alps, including Franks and Burgundians.

A Byzantine military handbook was noticed to describe the Britons as skilled warriors in woodland terrain, and there is proof that Emperor Justinian was making payments to Britain. So, it's conceivable that the recruitment drive could have reached further into northern areas.

"What you've said rings true. His standing comes from his fighting prowess.”

Examines not only the burials at Sutton Hoo, but other prominent sites as well, all of which possess common attributes, such as a large quantity of items from regions surrounding what is now Syria.

Further investigation has hinted at the possibility that the burial site at Sutton Hoo might be the final resting place of an Anglo-Saxon king - possibly even Raedwald, the monarch who once ruled over the kingdom of East Anglia.

Sue Brunning, Curator of Early Medieval European Collections, at the British Museum, said: "It's the [the] effort, combined with the quality and the quantity of the burial goods from all areas of the known world at that time, that has led people to believe that an Anglo-Saxon king may have been buried here."

We can't definitively identify that king, but one possible candidate is Raedwald, who effectively ruled the kingdom of East Anglia around this period in the early seventh century. It's conceivable he also had control over neighbouring kingdoms, which could be the reason for the elaborate send off.

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