‘As if ready for the afterlife’: Anglo-Saxon horse wearing snaffle bridle found buried beside warriors 14 centuries later

The grave of an Anglo-Saxon horse buried alongside elite members of society, tacked up as if ready for the warrior afterlife, is a discovery of national significance, archaeologists believe.

Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA) found the burial ground during excavations for the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk. The team identified at least 11 burial mounds, or barrows, as well as cremation burials, “carefully arranged across a prominent point in the landscape near Theberton in Suffolk”.

“Among the most remarkable discoveries is a high-status grave containing two individuals buried alongside a fully harnessed horse, weapons, and personal items,” an OCA spokesperson said. “These finds, dating to the 7th century, suggest the individuals were elite members of Anglo-Saxon society and reflect their complex burial traditions.”

A spokesperson for the project told H&H burials of horses and humans together are rare, although such graves have been found across Europe from the early medieval period, including in Anglo-Saxon England, from about 410-650 AD.

“At Sizewell the horse was buried in a separate pit beside the human grave,” she said. “Both were surrounded by a ring ditch and would together have been covered by a mound or barrow that has not survived or was ploughed flat long ago. A good parallel for this was found at the nearby famous cemetery of Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk.”

The horse’s bones were poorly preserved owing to the sandy soil but enough survived to give clues of its stature and position. Animal bones tend to be more robust and therefore preserved better in sandy soils than humans’.

“What is left is a ‘sand skeleton’ – or staining – delineating the location of the creature’s resting place,” the spokesperson said.

It is thought the Anglo-Saxon horse stood about 14hh, which is in the upper end of the height scale for horses in central and northern Europe at the time. Its vertebrae plates were fused, suggesting that it was an adult, and it is hoped further analysis will reveal its sex and cause of death.

“Although by modern standards this would be classed as a pony, it appears this horse would have been on the larger size for the period, which again emphasises the status of the associated human burial,” the spokesperson said.

“The horse was buried in harness, like others known from the period, as if ready for the journey to the afterlife. We believe they were wearing a full bridle; several iron fittings were recovered from the area of the skull.”

Horses were commonly ridden in iron snaffles similar to those used today and the spokesperson said careful lab analysis would be needed to find out more about the snaffle found here.

“It is possible the horse was also buried with a saddle, but as these were mainly of wood and leather, which has perished, just a few metal fittings remained – copper and iron fittings around the lower neck and position of the back,” she added. “There was also a curious iron object found at the base of one of the front hooves which needs further investigation: horseshoes were not in usage in England until later in the medieval period.”

The neighbouring human grave contained the remains of one or two people, weapons and a bronze bowl and decorated silver cup.

“Although the biological sex of the individuals remains to be determined, this ‘warrior’ costume of weapons and feasting gear is typical of individuals found buried with horses, thus linking equestrianism with a high-status, warrior culture,” the spokesperson said. “A large bucket might also have been an item for feasting, or it could have held a provision for the horse. Again, as well as indicating social standing, the objects in the human grave may have had a role in prevailing afterlife beliefs.”

The reason the horse and rider were buried together “remains open to interpretation”.

“However, it’s widely believed that horses were sometimes ritually killed as part of early Anglo-Saxon funerary rites, symbolising the status and identity of the deceased,” the spokesperson said. “In this case, the act may have reflected a belief in the continuation of life beyond death – a journey requiring the same symbols of power and prestige that defined life on earth: weapons, goods, and a horse to ride.”

It is also thought that the horse was not a personal mount of the buried human, but had been chosen for strength or appearance, emphasising the significance of the burial.

Archaeologist Jack Tobias, who excavated and recovered the horse’s remains, said: “Excavating the horse in this ‘princely burial’ was a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, particularly as I have a special interest in the recovery and research of animal remains.

“To see the first glimpses of actual bone survival was incredible and I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary site. Witnessing the excavation of grave goods in the associated human graves – such as the brilliantly multi-coloured bead necklaces – was a particular highlight.

“I’m looking forward to the outcome of lab-based microexcavation of the horse’s skull, which will hopefully enable us to determine its sex, possibly its age, and certainly any further bridal fittings left in situ.”

The discovery featured in an episode of Digging for Britain broadcast on Wednesday (14 January).

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