The excavations took place over two trenches (40m x 30m and 30m x 15m in size), revealing:
- the foundations of the large timber Hall (first identified by aerial photography in 2015)
- the perimeter ditch enclosing the royal compound
- the remains of food preparation and feasting which show the consumption of vast quantities of meat, mainly beef and pork
- dress jewellery, personal items, fragments of glass drinking vessels and pottery
- traces of earlier settlement and activity on the site in the early Roman period (1st century AD) and the early Neolithic period (4th millennium BC)
The East Anglian kingdom, covering modern day Suffolk and Norfolk, was made up of several such regions and the Kings travelled between them to rule and to be seen.
The excavated building would have been one of several such monumental Halls in the royal compound at Rendlesham. Here, the first Kings of the East Angles, accompanied by their household and armed retinue, would have administered justice, received tribute and diplomatic envoys, feasted their followers, and distributed gifts and favours.
In earlier years, archaeological investigations have recovered precious metalwork and coinage indicative of the wealth and status of those who stayed here. The nearby burial mounds at Snape and Sutton Hoo are two of the known Princely Burials associated with this royal settlement.
The discoveries came during the second summer of excavations by the community archaeology project ‘Rendlesham Revealed: Anglo-Saxon Life in South-East Suffolk.’ It is run by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, supported by Cotswold Archaeology and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, who awarded a grant of £517,300 for the four-year project, which was made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
Councillor Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Protected Landscapes and Archaeology, said: