Anglo-Saxons buried a mysterious vessel over a millennia ago. Archaeologists discovered its contents
The Bromeswell bucket is currently on display at Sutton Hoo's High Hall exhibition in Suffolk, England. David Brunetti/National Trust Images via CNN Newsource
Archaeologists have uncovered a key component of a mysterious artifact at Sutton Hoo, a National Trust site in Suffolk, England, famous for the seventh century Anglo-Saxon 'ghost ship' burial discovered in a mound between 1938 and 1939.
The fragments of the sixth century Byzantine bucket have fascinated researchers since a tractor harrow accidentally unearthed the pieces in 1986.
Researchers have long questioned the purpose of the artifact, which depicts a North African hunting scene, complete with warriors, a range of weaponry, lions and a hunting dog. Experts believe the bucket came from the Byzantine Empire and was crafted in Antioch, located in modern-day Turkey, before finding its way to the eastern coast of Britain a century later.
Excavations in 2012 contributed more pieces to the object, called the Bromeswell bucket. But the entire base of the vessel has proved as elusive as the reasons why it's present at an Anglo-Saxon site.
Now, the Bromeswell puzzle is a little more complete.
New excavations last summer unearthed a block of dirt containing pieces of the bucket. A careful analysis revealed the entire base, which includes embellishments that complete feet, paws, shields of figures, as well as the missing face of one of the warriors.
The team also uncovered the bucket's surprising contents — cremated animal and human remains — which shed more light on why the vessel was buried. Alongside the burnt bones, researchers found an unexpectedly intact comb that may contain DNA evidence of the person, likely of high status, who was laid to rest more than a thousand years ago.
Unexpected grave goods
The dirt block went through CT scans and X-rays at the University of Bradford before being sent to the York Archaeological Trust for a deeper analysis in November. A research team with experience in studying human bones, organic remains and conservation meticulously removed soil inside the bucket, analyzing each fragment as it slowly appeared.
Anglo Saxon ship
Cremated human and animal bones are seen within the bucket's base, along with a double-sided comb. FAS Heritage via CNN Newsource
The careful approach uncovered cremated human bones, which included parts of an ankle bone and a skull vault, or the protective upper part of the skull, according to a release from the National Trust. The researchers also found remnants of animal bone, and an initial analysis suggests the pieces came from something larger than a pig. The team noted that horses were often part of early Anglo-Saxon cremation pyres to reflect the elevated status of the individual who had died.
The tight cluster of the bone remnants, as well as some curious unknown fibers, suggest the remains were originally kept in a bag that was placed in the bucket. However, some bone fragments were also found right outside of the bucket, and copper-alloy staining from the bucket on the bones signals they were buried outside of the vessel at the same time, the researchers said.
Both the human and animal bones are undergoing further study and radiocarbon dating to provide additional context.
Several cremation burials at Sutton Hoo were placed in vessels such as ceramic pots and bronze bowls, including an impressive bronze hanging bowl on display in the High Hall exhibition. But buckets such as these are rare, and there hasn't ever been one found with cremated remains inside, said Laura Howarth, archaeology and engagement manager for the National Trust's Sutton Hoo site, in an email.
The initial scans also suggested there were grave goods within the bucket, and the researchers painstakingly retrieved the delicate but largely intact double-sided comb, with fine tooth and wider tooth sides, likely made from an antler. The comb, unlike the bones, had not been burned.
Combs made from bone and antler have been retrieved from male and female burials alike, and different sizes suggest they were used for grooming hair, beards and removing lice.
The acidic soil at Sutton Hoo, which rotted away the wood of the Anglo-Saxon ship and only left impressions of planks and rows of iron rivets, means that many of the bone combs previously found at Sutton Hoo have not been well-preserved, Howarth said.
The team was unable to determine the sex of the individual from the bone fragments, but the researchers are optimistic that they may be able to retrieve ancient DNA from the comb to uncover more about the person's identity.
Scientists are also eager to take a closer look at leaves and other plant remains found inside the bucket, which could provide clues on the climate, environment and season when the bucket was buried, said Naomi Sewpaul, an environmental archaeologist who analyzed the finds, in a YouTube Video by the British television turned online show 'Time Team.'
'We knew that this bucket would have been a rare and prized possession back in Anglo-Saxon times, but it's always been a mystery why it was buried,' said Angus Wainwright, a National Trust archaeologist, in a statement. 'Now we know it was used to contain the remains of an important person in the Sutton Hoo community. I'm hopeful that further analysis will uncover more information about this very special burial.'
A long journey
The bucket's base, which is in surprisingly good condition, was found in one piece, and CT scans showed concentric rings that suggest it was made by cold hammering — when metal such as copper is shaped by percussive movements without heating. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the bucket had a top.
Anglo Saxon ship
Researchers carefully brush away dirt to uncover the bucket's contents. FAS Heritage via CNN Newsource
Questions still remain about the bucket's original purpose and how it arrived in England. Researchers suspect it may have been a diplomatic gift, or it was acquired by a mercenary Saxon soldier.
'We think that the bucket had a life prior to burial,' Howarth wrote in an email. 'We can't be certain how this bucket made hundreds of miles away in the Byzantine Empire ended up in this corner of Suffolk. (It) could have been an antique at the time of burial, a gift, a souvenir, etc. But by repurposing this luxury item as a cremation vessel, it is signaling something about the status of the individual interred (how they were perceived in both life and death) and their connections. These latest discoveries have helped redefine the bucket from a possible stray/isolated find to being part of a burial context.'
The new research at Sutton Hoo is part of a two-year project, which began last summer, carried out by the National Trust, Field Archaeology Specialists, or FAS, Heritage, and 'Time Team.' The project unearthed the bucket fragment during the final week of a monthlong excavation in the summer of 2024.
Sutton Hoo has been the site of multiple excavations over the years because the discovery of the ship burial in the late 1930s changed the way historians understand Anglo-Saxon life.
The 90-foot-long (27-meter) wooden ship was dragged half a mile (0.8 kilometer) from the River Deben when an Anglo-Saxon warrior king died 1,400 years ago. The burial was likely that of Raedwald of East Anglia, who died around 624, and he was placed inside the ship, surrounded by treasures and buried within a mound.
In addition to the famous ship burial, a royal burial ground and a sixth century Anglo-Saxon cemetery have been found at Sutton Hoo in the past. Archaeologists determined that the Anglo-Saxon cemetery, which predates the royal burial ground, contained 13 cremations and nine burials in 2000 ahead of construction of the Sutton Hoo visitor's center. It's believed that the people buried here were residents from low to relatively high-status families, and perhaps even the grandparents or great-grandparents of those later buried in the royal burial ground.
This season's excavations are already underway at Garden Field, a site close to the ship burial, and will continue through June to uncover more information about the Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
'We've finally solved the puzzle of the Bromeswell bucket — now we know that it is the first of these rare objects ever to have been used in a cremation burial. It's a remarkable mixture — a vessel from the southern, classical world containing the remains of a very northern, very Germanic cremation,' said Helen Geake, Time Team's Anglo-Saxon expert, in a statement. 'It epitomises the strangeness of Sutton Hoo — it has ship burials, horse burials, mound burials and now bath-bucket burials. Who knows what else it might still hold?'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

National Post
6 hours ago
- National Post
Nicoya Acquires Applied Photophysics, Expanding Biologics Characterization Capabilities for Faster Time-to-Clinic and Reduced Late-Stage Failures
Article content Doubles Revenue, Triples Customer Base; Acquisition Positions Nicoya as a Leading Provider of Integrated Biologics Characterization Platforms, Establishes European Hub Article content KITCHENER, Ontario — Nicoya Lifesciences, Inc., a leading provider of advanced biologics characterization tools for drug discovery and development, today announced its acquisition of Applied Photophysics, a UK-based provider of biophysical characterization instrumentation. Applied Photophysics, bringing a 50-year history of delivering established analytical methods and reliable instrumentation, will now operate as part of Nicoya. Article content Article content The acquisition is expected to immediately double Nicoya's annual revenue, triple its existing customer base, and provide a foundation for substantial profitability with continued organic growth projected at 25%. Article content As part of the integration, Applied Photophysics's UK headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey, will become Nicoya's European operational hub. This significantly expands Nicoya's global reach and customer support capabilities. The acquisition was financed by Nicoya's existing investor syndicate, led by Graphite Ventures and debt partner SWK Holdings Corporation, with participation from Garage Capital, MaRS IAF, Laurier Startup Fund, ArchAngel, GTAN and support from Agilent Technologies, WhiteCap Venture Partners, BDC Capital's Growth & Transition Capital Team, Export Development Canada (EDC) among others. Article content The acquisition directly addresses the biopharmaceutical industry's need for more comprehensive and efficient analytical solutions to accelerate the development of increasingly complex protein-based drugs. By integrating Applied Photophysics's established technologies for protein structure (Circular Dichroism), kinetics (stopped flow) and stability assessment (nanoDSF) with Nicoya's expertise in label-free interaction analysis (Surface Plasmon Resonance), Nicoya now offers customers access to an integrated suite of these key technologies from a single company. This allows researchers, particularly those in large pharma and emerging biotechs with high-throughput needs and automation goals, to gain a more complete understanding of their therapeutic candidates. Article content 'Developing sophisticated molecules like ADCs and bispecific antibodies requires a deep understanding of a candidate's binding, structure, and stability. Obtaining this data efficiently has been a persistent industry challenge,' said Ryan Denomme, CEO of Nicoya. 'This acquisition equips Nicoya to directly address that challenge by unifying these essential analytical techniques. We are providing scientists with a more streamlined path to make informed decisions faster, identify the most promising candidates earlier, and ultimately, improve the probability of success for biologic therapies. Our expanded expertise across multiple analytical tools allows us to better support customers in unraveling the interdependencies between structure, function, and stability for these complex modalities.' Article content The expanded Nicoya platform now provides researchers with: Article content Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) for quantifying binding kinetics and affinity. Circular Dichroism (CD) and nanoDSF for analyzing protein secondary structure and thermal stability. Stopped-flow kinetics for monitoring rapid kinetic events and enzyme reactions Article content A significant advantage, particularly in early-stage discovery, is the enhanced capability for high-throughput analysis of biologic candidates directly from crude, unpurified samples using Nicoya's Alto™ (SPR) and Applied Photophysics's SUPR-DSF instruments. This ability to bypass time-consuming purification steps for initial screening allows for quicker identification of promising leads and significantly reduces the resources wasted on candidates that might later fail due to unforeseen biophysical properties. Article content 'For decades, Applied Photophysics has provided the scientific community with trusted technologies for deep biophysical insights,' commented Tim Flanagan, CEO of Applied Photophysics, who will be joining Nicoya in a transitional role. 'Integrating these proven capabilities with Nicoya's SPR platforms and their focus on user-friendly workflow automation will provide researchers with more powerful and efficient solutions to meet today's complex drug development demands.' Article content The ability to generate comprehensive, multi-parameter datasets with this expanded instrument portfolio is also important for the biopharmaceutical industry's increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in drug development. Nicoya is standardizing data outputs across its offerings to directly support these initiatives, working with AI-focused biotechs and academic partners to enhance predictive modeling for antibody function and developability. Access to such integrated data is key to training more robust AI models that can better predict the developability and potential clinical success of novel biologics. Article content About Nicoya LifeSciences, Inc. Article content Nicoya is advancing biopharmaceutical breakthroughs by equipping scientists with a powerful, integrated analytical platform for characterizing complex biologics. Following its acquisition of Applied Photophysics, Nicoya uniquely combines its pioneering Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) systems, including the high-throughput Alto™, with world-renowned technologies for protein structural analysis (Chirascan™ Circular Dichroism) and kinetic/stability studies (SX™ stopped-flow, SUPR-DSF™). This unified offering provides researchers with a comprehensive understanding of a biologic's critical quality attributes—function, structure, and stability—from a single, expert source. By enabling earlier, more informed decision-making and providing high-quality data crucial for AI-driven drug development, Nicoya empowers its partners to de-risk their pipelines, accelerate the path to clinic, and ultimately deliver life-changing therapies to patients more efficiently. Article content Article content Article content


Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Globe and Mail
IonQ Pops on Nvidia Collab. How Should You Play the Quantum Computing Stock Here?
IonQ (IONQ) shares are inching up at writing after the quantum technology specialist announced successful results from a high-profile research collaboration with Nvidia (NVDA), Amazon (AMZN) and AstraZeneca (AZN). On Monday, the group demonstrated quantum-accelerated computational chemistry workflow that could dramatically reduce the time required for drug development. Including today's gain, IONQ stock is up 120% versus its year-to-date low in March. Significance of Nvidia Collaboration for IonQ Stock The aforementioned collaboration is meaningful for IonQ shares as it validates the company's hybrid quantum-classical computing model in a real-world, high-stakes application: drug discovery. By linking its quantum hardware with Nvidia's advanced GPU acceleration and AWS' scalable infrastructure, the NYSE-listed firm has demonstrated tangible value in a notoriously computation-heavy sector. Not only do the findings strengthen IonQ's commercial credibility, but they also position it as a key player in the fast-emerging market of quantum-enhanced molecular modeling. Simply put, the research could open doors for more enterprise partnerships and significant revenue opportunities, which may translate to an increase in this quantum computing stock's price over time. IONQ Shares Gain on Oxford Ionics Acquisition IonQ shares are trending up at the time of writing also because the NYSE-listed firm announced a $1.1 billion acquisition of Oxford Ionics on Monday. Bringing the UK-based startup, known for its innovative trapped-ion quantum computing systems, under its umbrella strengthens IONQ's technology portfolio and global presence. The deal could accelerate IonQ's roadmap by integrating Oxford's breakthroughs with its hardware and cloud infrastructure. It also positions the company as a more formidable player in the race for commercial quantum advantage, expanding its tale base and IP. Still, analysts recommend caution in buying IONQ stock at current levels. Is It Too Late to Invest in IonQ? According to Wall Street analysts, a massive rally in IonQ shares over the past three months has baked in a lot of the good news already. While the consensus rating on IONQ still currently sits at ' Moderate Buy,' the mean target of $40 suggests the quantum computing stock is fairly valued and lacks any further upside from here.


National Post
4 days ago
- National Post
What eating foods like dark chocolate and berries did to a study group of more than 120,000 people
A new study reveals what drinking tea and eating dark chocolate and berries did for a group of more than 120,000 people. Article content Those foods, as well as fruits like grapes, apples, oranges, and beverages like red wine, all contain flavonoids, which are compounds found in many plant products. Flavonoids can 'help your body function more efficiently while protecting it against everyday toxins and stressors,' per Healthline. The study's authors said those who consumed a diverse range of foods containing flavonoids (such as berries, grapes and dark chocolate) 'could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions and have the potential to live longer,' in a news release. The study has been peer-reviewed. Article content Article content Article content In the study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Food, researchers observed 124,805 participants between the ages of 40 and 70 from the UK Biobank, a large-scale database with biomedical information. The participants were tracked for roughly 10 years and their dietary information was collected using a questionnaire asking them about the frequency in which they ate approximately 200 types of food and 30 beverages. Article content Article content Dr. Benjamin Parmenter, a research fellow at Edith Cowan University in Australia, was the study's first author and co-lead. He said consuming roughly 500 mg of flavonoids a day or more was linked to a 16 per cent lower risk of 'all-cause mortality' (meaning death from any cause). Article content It was also linked to a roughly 10 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. Article content A study published in 2025 in peer-reviewed food science journal Foods said, as it pertains to human health, 'flavonoids are recognized for their ability to combat aging, mitigate inflammation, safeguard the nervous system, and promote overall well-being.' However, in another study published in 2022 in the Nutrition Journal, researchers 'observed an increased risk of prostate cancer by higher intake of total flavonoids.' In a study published in 2016 in the Journal of Nutritional Science, researchers called for further studies on flavonoids so their usefulness 'in the diet could be improved for better human health.' Article content Article content 'Over 30 different types of flavonoids are regularly consumed in the human diet. These are found in different types of everyday foods,' Parmenter told National Post over email. Article content Article content A few squares of dark chocolate could be roughly 25 mg of flavonoids. One apple is equal to roughly 100 mg of flavonoids, while one orange is roughly 60 mg. For tea drinkers, one cup of black tea is roughly 300 mg of flavonoids, while the same amount of green tea is roughly 150 mg. Article content 'We observed that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity of dietary flavonoids, when consumed together, may represent the optimal approach for improving long-term health, compared with increasing either flavonoid quantity or diversity alone,' Parmenter said. Article content Those with the highest flavonoid diversity were more likely to be female, older, have a lower body mass index (BMI), be more physically active and have a higher education and were less likely to be current smokers, according to the study.