Archaeologists solve grim mystery of 1,500-year-old bucket found at historic tourist site

Archaeologists of late discovered the purpose of a mysterious -year-old bucket at one of England's most of historic sites and it wasn't pleasant The National Trust distributed a declaration about the Byzantine Bromeswell bucket uncovered at Sutton Hoo in May The site of two ancient Anglo-Saxon cemeteries Sutton Hoo has offered a wealth of knowledge about pre-Norman British history since its first excavation in STRANGE VIKING GRAVE WITH 'CHRISTIAN OVERTONES' DISCOVERED BY PERPLEXED ARCHAEOLOGISTS 'VERY UNUSUAL'During an excavation last summer archaeologists unearthed the base of the Bromeswell bucket which dates back to the th century Different fragments of the bucket were uncovered in past excavations but this latest discovery gave researchers more to scrutiny With the base in hand researchers promptly went to work to analyze the artifact with a variety of techniques including computerized tomography CT scans and X-rays and they unveiled an answer In a morbid turn of events experts learned the bucket was used to hold the cremated remains of an essential person and their grave goods The cremated human and animal bones uncovered confirm the find was used as a cremation vessel the National Trust noted The organization added Cremated human bones included parts of a talus ankle bone and fragments of a skull vault the upper part of the skull that protects the brain The bucket dates back to the s It's decorated with a hunting scene depicting men armed with swords and shields as well as dogs and lions painting a vivid picture of life in the past The latest fragments include feet paws the base of shields and even the missing face of one of the men the comment described It is held the bucket came from Antioch in the Byzantine Empire now located in modern Turkey The National Trust noted Letterforms used within the bucket s design suggest it was made in the th century meaning it was already years old when it arrived here at Sutton Hoo Researchers also revealed a mystery object that turned out to be a double-sided comb made from an antler Interestingly the object had not been burned LATE BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT DATING BACK YEARS UNCOVERED AMID ROAD WORK 'IMPORTANT DISCOVERY'The National Trust declared the presence of the comb suggests the Anglo-Saxons took grooming seriously as combs have been revealed in male and female burials before Slightly less romantically combs also would have been useful in the control of lice the comment revealed Although the human bone in the cremation couldn t be sexed it s hoped that ancient DNA from the owner might survive on the comb and analysis could reveal more about them National Trust archaeologist Angus Wainwright announced that he was hopeful future research will uncover new insight into this very special burial For more Lifestyle articles visit foxnews com lifestyle We knew that this bucket would have been a rare and prized possession back in Anglo-Saxon times but it s unfailingly been a mystery why it was buried Wainwright revealed Now we know it was used to contain the remains of an vital person in the Sutton Hoo society CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERAnglo-Saxon expert Helen Geake advised the National Trust the puzzle of the Bromeswell bucket has absolutely been solved Now we know that it is the first of these rare objects ever to have been used in a cremation burial she commented It s a remarkable mixture a vessel from the southern classical world containing the remains of a very northern very Germanic cremation She also revealed the find epitomizes the strangeness of Sutton Hoo which has captivated British history enthusiasts for decades It has ship burials horse burials mound burials and now bath-bucket burials Geake observed Who knows what else