Rare Anglo-Saxon inhumation with cow
Tuesday, 3rd July, 2012
A ‘heads-up’ from Woodwose-
5th century woman buried with cow
The skeletons of an Anglo-Saxon woman and a cow have been found at Oakington near Cambridge – the discovery’s so rare it’s thought to be the only one of its kind ever found in Europe.
Students from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Central Lancashire came across the skeletons while digging under a former children’s playground. Experts say the cow was a sacrifice.
Current Archaeology: Oakington
Other remarkable Anglo-Saxon burials discovered in our region include.
- Sutton Hoo in Suffolk: thought to be the resting place of an East Anglian king, buried with his ship, and a hoard of treasure.
- RAF Lakenheath – the grave of a nobleman complete with horse and sword.
- Trumpington near Cambridge, a rare ‘bed burial’ – an early Christian teenage girl found with a gold cross.
This latest find is also thought to be of major significance. Experts are now trying to determine why a 5th century woman was buried with a sacrificial animal in this way.
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Friday, 6th July, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Yes that certainly is a very interesting discovery. There must be so much we still don’t know about our past, a past we can only completely piece together from discoveries which stretch the limits of our knowledge concerning a particular subject. Thank you for the article. Supernova.