Anglo-Saxon grave goods
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how archaeologists have used grave goods to make inferences about Anglo-Saxon Britain.
Key learning points
- One of the main sources of evidence archaeologists use to investigate the Anglo-Saxons are their grave goods.
- The Sutton Hoo burial mound was discovered in East Anglia in 1938; it contained the grave goods of an Anglo-Saxon king.
- Intricate gold and bronze jewellery has helped archaeologists to understand that the Anglo-Saxons were skilled artisans.
- Some pieces contain garnets that probably came from as far away as India; silver plates and bowls were from Byzantium.
- A beautiful bronze helmet, a sword and the remains of a boat show how important warfare was to Anglo-Saxon culture.
Keywords
Grave goods - grave goods are objects buried in people's graves, providing insights into their culture and daily life
Artisan - an artisan is a skilled craftsperson who creates objects by hand, often using traditional techniques and tools
Garnet - garnet is a precious gemstone that comes in various colours, often used in jewellery and decorative items
Byzantium - Byzantium is the name of an ancient Greek city which was an important centre of trade and culture, now known as Istanbul
Common misconception
Students may think that we only know about the Anglo-Saxons because of written history.
We know mostly about the Anglo-Saxons because of grave goods and other archeological finds.
Teacher tip
Utilise online maps to see where Anglo-Saxon artefacts have been found near your schools.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do historians call the Angle, Saxon and Jute tribes that arrived in Britain after the Romans left?
Q2.How did the Angle, Saxon and Jute tribes arrive in Britain?
Q3.Archaeologists found evidence that showed that Anglo-Saxons were what type of people?
Q4.Complete the sentence: The Anglo-Saxon tribes were attracted to Britain due to its .
Q5.Match the terms with the correct definitions.
a country or area ruled by a king or queen
to set something up to last a very long time
a place where people choose to begin a community
Q6.What was one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon's called?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is one of the main sources of evidence archaeologists use to investigate the Anglo-Saxons?
Q2.What are grave goods?
Q3.Which statements about the Sutton Hoo burial mound are correct?
Q4.Complete the sentence. Artefacts from Sutton Hoo included items covered with that may have come from India.
Q5.What has the intricate jewellery found in graves helped archaeologists understand about the Anglo-Saxons?
Q6.What Anglo-Saxon object has been found that suggests they traded with Byzantium?
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon grave goods, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon grave goods, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the The Anglo-Saxons: how do we know about life in Anglo-Saxon England? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.