Thread by @NT_SuttonHoo

With the huge interest in all things #SuttonHoo at the moment, and because the exhibition spaces here and the @britishmuseum are currently closed, we are bringing some of the objects from the Great Ship Burial to you via social media! First up is of course the helmet... (1/6)

(2/6) For many this the most iconic object discovered at #SuttonHoo but its importance was not realised at first & this may be why it didn’t feature in #TheDig. It was discovered as over 500 rusted fragments.
📷 @britishmuseum

(3/6) At the time of discovery only one other Anglo-Saxon helmet, the Benty Grange example, had been recorded in England. With the declaration of war, the objects were quickly moved to the safety of a dis-used London Underground tunnel with little time to study them further.

(4/6) The first reconstruction was created between 1945 & 1946. It took 6 months to complete. The task was likened to completing a jigsaw puzzle with no image of how it should look and many of the pieces missing.
📷 @britishmuseum

(5/6) The 1960s dig unearthed 4 more fragments. Their discovery & further advances in understanding resulted in the helmet being re-constructed again. The new re-construction was unveiled in 1971 & the first replica was created by the @Royal_Armouries in 1973. 📷 @britishmuseum

(6/6) Today the original lives at the @BritishMuseum. Other replicas exist, including at Sutton Hoo. For many it has become the face of the early Anglo-Saxon period. You can discover more about the helmet in this video by @SueBrunningBM > bit.ly/3cPOK6u
📷 Phil Morley