Editing Sutton Hoo (section)

=== Basil Brown and Charles Phillips: 1938–1939 ===
{{further|Edith Pretty|Basil Brown}}

In 1910, a mansion, [[Tranmer House]], was built a short distance from the mounds. In 1926 the Tranmer estate was purchased by Colonel Frank Pretty, a retired military officer who had recently married. In 1934, Pretty died, leaving a widow, [[Edith Pretty]], and young son, Robert Dempster Pretty.<ref>Carver, ''Sutton Hoo'', pp. 3–4, 153.</ref> Following her bereavement, Edith became interested in [[Spiritualism (religious movement)|Spiritualism]], a popular religious movement that purported to enable the living to communicate with the dead.

In 1937, Pretty decided to organise an excavation of the mounds.{{sfn|Carver|1998|p=4}} Through the [[Ipswich Museum]], she obtained the services of [[Basil Brown]], a self-taught Suffolk archaeologist who had taken up full-time investigations of Roman sites for the museum.<ref>ODNB, Basil John Wait Brown. Brown's diaries of the 1938 and 1939 excavations are published in Bruce-Mitford 1974, 141–169.</ref> In June 1938, Pretty took him to the site, offered him accommodation and a wage of 30 shillings a week, and suggested that he start digging at Mound&nbsp;1.{{sfn|Carver|1998|pp=4–5}}

Because it had been disturbed by earlier grave diggers, Brown, in consultation with the Ipswich Museum, decided instead to open three smaller mounds (2, 3 and 4). These only revealed fragmented artefacts, as the mounds had been robbed of valuable items.{{sfnm|Bruce-Mitford|1975|1pp=100–131|Markham|2002|2pp=12–14}} In Mound&nbsp;2 he found iron ship-rivets and a disturbed chamber burial that contained unusual fragments of metal and glass artefacts. At first, it was undecided as to whether they were Early Anglo-Saxon or [[Viking Age|Viking]] objects.{{sfn|Bruce-Mitford|1975|pp=100–136}} The Ipswich Museum then became involved with the excavations;{{sfn|Carver|1998|p=7}} the finds became part of the museum's collection.

In May&nbsp;1939, Brown began work on Mound&nbsp;1, helped by Pretty's gardener John (Jack) Jacobs, her gamekeeper William Spooner, and another estate worker Bert Fuller.{{sfn|Evans|1986}} (Jacobs lived with his wife and their three children at Sutton Hoo House.) They drove a trench from the east end and on the third day discovered an iron rivet which Brown identified as a ship's rivet.{{efn|John Jacobs described what he and Basil Brown found in a short recorded commentary which can be heard on the aural history earpieces at Sutton Hoo National Trust Exhibition Hall.}} Within hours others were found still in position. The colossal size of the find became apparent. After several weeks of patiently removing earth from the ship's hull, they reached the burial chamber.<ref>Descriptions of the excavation are given as follows: Bruce-Mitford 1975, 156–222; Carver ''Sutton Hoo'', pp. 9–11; Markham 2002. (Markham's published narrative is based on unpublished correspondence of Basil Brown and others held by the British Museum, the Ipswich Museum, and the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service.)</ref>

[[File:SHIP MED.jpg|thumb|A so-called 'ghostly' image of the buried ship was revealed during excavations in 1939. The 'ghost' effect was the result of sand discoloured by the organic matter which had rotted away. Still from a film made by H. J. Phillips, brother of Charles Phillips.]]
The following month, [[Charles Phillips (archaeologist)|Charles Phillips]] of [[Cambridge University]] heard rumours of a ship discovery. He was taken to Sutton Hoo by Mr Maynard, the Ipswich Museum curator, and was staggered by what he saw. Within a short time, following discussions with the Ipswich Museum, the British Museum, the [[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]], and [[Office of Works]], Phillips had taken over responsibility for the excavation of the burial chamber.{{sfn|Carver|1998|p=12}}

Initially, Phillips and the British Museum instructed Brown to cease excavating until they could get their team assembled, but he continued working, something which may have saved the site from being looted by treasure hunters.{{sfn|Carver|1998|p=12}} Phillips's team included [[W.F. Grimes]] and [[O. G. S. Crawford|O.G.S. Crawford]] of the [[Ordnance Survey]], Peggy Piggott (later known as [[Margaret Guido]]) and [[Stuart Piggott]], and other friends and colleagues.<ref>See Charles Phillips's diary of the excavation (Carver ''Sutton Hoo'', pp. 11–20)</ref> Extensive photography of the ship excavation was made by [[Mercie Lack]] and Barbara Wagstaff.

The need for secrecy and various vested interests led to a confrontation between Phillips and the Ipswich Museum. In 1935–1936 Phillips and his friend [[Grahame Clark]] had taken control of [[The Prehistoric Society]]. Maynard, then turned his attention to developing Brown's work for the museum. Phillips, who disliked the museum's honorary president, Reid Moir, F.R.S., had now reappeared, and he deliberately excluded Moir and Maynard from the new discovery at Sutton Hoo.{{sfnm|Clark|1985|Phillips|1987|2pp=70–80|Plunkett|1998|3pp=182, 189|Markham|2002|4pp=8–9, 31–35}} After Ipswich Museum prematurely announced the discovery, reporters attempted to access the site, so Pretty paid for two policemen to guard the site 24 hours a day.<ref>Carver, ''Sutton Hoo'', p. 18.</ref>

The finds, having been packed and removed to London, were brought back for a [[treasure trove]] inquest held that autumn at Sutton village hall, where it was decided that since the treasure was buried without the intention to recover it, it was the property of Pretty as the landowner.{{sfn|Bruce-Mitford|1975|pp=718–731}} Pretty decided to bequeath the treasure as a gift to the nation, so that the meaning and excitement of her discovery could be shared by everyone.{{sfn|Markham|2002|pp=50–54}}

When [[Second World War|World War II]] broke out in September 1939, the grave-goods were put in storage. Sutton Hoo was used as a training ground for military vehicles.{{sfn|Carver|1998|pp=25–26}} Phillips and colleagues produced important publications in 1940 including a dedicated issue of ''[[Antiquity (journal)|Antiquity]]''.<ref>Phillips 1940;{{cite journal |last=Crawford |first=O.G.S. |title=Editorial Notes |journal=Antiquity |date=1940 |volume=14 |issue=53 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00014733 |doi-access=free }}</ref>