The HS2 high - speed rail inter-group communication undertaking is an on-going momentum infrastructure task aiming to connect London to the North - West by high - speed rail lines . With the task look toward the future , it is also revealingsecrets of the past . More than 1,000 archaeologists have been employed to excavate over 60 situation and they have recently made an exciting uncovering of national implication in Wendover , Buckinghamshire : 141 Anglo Saxon burial sites go steady back to the 5thand 6thcentury .
The sites are rich in high - quality grave goods , which indicates they are likely the resting property of wealthy people of the Anglo - Saxon community . The breakthrough will help unveil the disruption in the historical and archaeological record and contribute to the understanding of how multitude in Anglo - Saxon Britain last their life .
There was also evidence of Neolithic , Bronze Age , Iron Age , and Roman body process , which indicates that the site was used for a long stop of time . But what was most significant was the Anglo Saxon burial ground contain 138 graves , with 141 entombment burials and 5 cremation burials – one of the largest ever detect in Britain . A team of over 30INFRA JVfield archaeologists working on behalf of HS2 ’s Enabling Works Contractor , Fusion JV completed the workplace in 2021 .
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An ornate glass bowl found with a female skeleton. Image credit: HS2 ltd
“ As we near the end of our archeology fieldwork on Phase One of HS2 , we are just at the get-go of our understanding of how the discoveries will improve our historical knowledge of Britain . ” Mike Court , Lead Archaeologist for HS2 Ltdsaidin a assertion . “ The archaeological discovery made at this site in Wendover will not only be of interest to the local community but are of interior grandness , providing a worthful brainwave into life in Anglo - Saxon Britain . ”
Men , woman , and children were found at the land site – it is very uncommon to see such a big amount of individual in a cemetery . Almost all of the individuals were buried with fantastically ornament brooch . Other findings let in over 2,000 beads , 89 broach , 40 buckles , 51 knife , 15 spearheads , and seven cuticle bosses .
One female high - status mortal was discovered with a vast array of goods , including an ornate methamphetamine stadium thought to be a papistic - era heirloom , a silver " zoomorphic " ring , multiple ringing made of fuzz alloy , branding iron belt fitting , and objects made of tusk .
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Skeleton of a 17-24 year old male who died a violent death. Image credit: HS2 ltd
It was noted that the good buried with each individual were orient to each person , which was believably relevant to the mourners at the grave site . Some grooming particular were found , like ear wax removers and a cosmetic tube that could have been used as a container for eyeliner or something similar .
“ This significance of this land site for our historic and archeological understanding of Anglo - Saxon Britain is immense . It is not a site I would ever have anticipated finding – to have bump one of these burials would have been staggering , so to have found so many is quite unbelievable . ” Rachel Wood , lead-in archaeologist for Fusion JV , tell .
“ The proximity of the day of the month of this cemetery to the end of the Roman menses is particularly exciting , especially as it is a full point we know relatively piddling about . The substantial physical object will state us so much about the people who lived during this full stop , as will the hoi polloi themselves . ”
One skeleton , of a 17 - 24 - year - old male , had a sharp iron physical object embedded into its spine , which may have been the drive of an unfortunate and violent death . It is think that the artillery was dig in the front of the someone before embedding into the spine . This individual also had blue staining on his collarbone from a brooch that was placed there .
Over the next few days , there will be more assessments and analyses of the pieces , which will hopefully furnish more insight into the Anglo - Saxon worldly concern .
