Editing Sutton Hoo (section)

=== The west and east walls ===
[[File:Sutton.Hoo.Shield.Minophis.jpg|thumb|The shield-fittings reassembled]]

Along the inner west wall (i.e. the head end) at the north-west corner stood a tall iron stand with a grid near the top.<ref>Bruce-Mitford 1978, 403–431. This has been interpreted as a flambeau or a standard.</ref> Beside this rested a very large circular shield,{{sfn|Bruce-Mitford|1978|pp=1–129}} with a central boss, mounted with garnets and with die-pressed plaques of interlaced animal ornament.{{efn|''Pressblech'' metal foils were impressed in a single operation using a hard die over a softer supporting surface, unlike [[Repoussé and chasing|repoussé]] work in which the pattern is raised manually.{{sfn|Coatsworth|Pinder|2002|pp=109–114}} }} The shield front displayed two large emblems with garnet settings, one a composite metal predatory bird and the other a flying dragon. It also bore animal-ornamented sheet strips directly die-linked to examples from the early cemetery at Vendel{{sfn|Stolpe|Arne|1927}} near [[Old Uppsala]] in Sweden.{{sfnm|Bruce-Mitford|1986|Evans|1986|2pp=49–55, 111–119}} A small bell, possibly for an animal, lay nearby.

Along the wall was a long square-sectioned [[whetstone (tool)|whetstone]], tapered at either end and carved with human faces on each side - but which showed no sign of previous use as a tool. A ring mount, topped by a bronze antlered stag figurine, was fixed to the upper end, possibly made to resemble a late Roman [[consular sceptre]].<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/sceptre_from_sutton_hoo.aspx British Museum Highlights] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018180142/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/sceptre_from_sutton_hoo.aspx |date=18 October 2015 }}, ''Sceptre from the ship-burial at Sutton Hoo''; Bruce-Mitford 1978, 311–393; Bruce-Mitford 1986; Evans 1986, 83–5; Plunkett 2001, 71–73.</ref> The purpose of the sceptre has generated considerable debate and a number of theories, some of which point to the potential [[Deer in mythology|religious significance of the stag]].<ref name=ANGSAXCAM>Campbell, James. ''The Anglo-Saxons'' (1991) {{ISBN|0140143955 }}</ref> or a symbol of the office of ''[[bretwalda]]'' which would have pointed to [[Rædwald]]. South of the sceptre was an iron-bound wooden bucket, one of several in the grave.<ref>The Sutton Hoo tubs and buckets are described by K. East in Bruce-Mitford 1983 (II), 554–596.</ref>

In the south-west corner was a group of objects which may have been hung up, but when discovered, were compressed together. They included a [[Copt#History|Coptic]] or eastern Mediterranean bronze bowl with drop handles and figures of animals,{{sfnm|Bruce-Mitford|1983b|1pp=732–757|Evans|1986|2p=63}} found below a badly deformed six-stringed [[Anglo-Saxon lyre]] in a beaver-skin bag, of a Germanic type found in wealthy Anglo-Saxon and north European graves of this date.<ref>Bruce-Mitford 1974, 188–197; Bruce-Mitford 1983 (II), 611–731; Evans 1986, 69–72. The lyre was at first reconstructed as a single-armed [[harp]] with horizontal [[Resonator|soundbox]].</ref> Uppermost was a large and exceptionally elaborate three-hooked hanging bowl of Insular production, with [[Champlevé|champleve]] enamel and millefiori mounts showing fine-line spiral ornament and red cross motifs and with an enamelled metal fish mounted to swivel on a pin within the bowl.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kendrick |first1=T.D. |title=The Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial. II. The Gold Ornaments |journal=Antiquity |date=1940 |volume=14 |issue=53 |pages=28–30 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00014757 |s2cid=164196111}}; Bruce-Mitford 1983 (I), 206–243, 264–281, 300–306; Evans 1986, 72–75.</ref>

[[File:2008-05-17-SuttonHoo Burial.jpg|thumb|right|The recreated burial-ship at Sutton Hoo]]

At the east end of the chamber, near the north corner, stood an iron-bound tub of [[Taxus|yew]] containing a smaller bucket. To the south were two small bronze [[cauldrons]], which were probably hung against the wall. A large carinated bronze cauldron, similar to the example from a chamber-grave at [[Taplow]], with iron mounts and two ring-handles was hung by one handle.<ref>See A.C. Evans in Bruce-Mitford 1983 (II), 480–510.</ref> Nearby lay an iron chain almost {{convert|3.5|m}} long, of complex ornamental sections and wrought links, for suspending a cauldron from the beams of a large hall. The chain was the product of a British tradition dating back to pre-Roman times.<ref>See V.H. Fenwick in Bruce-Mitford 1983 (II), 511–553.</ref> All these items were of a domestic character.