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Archaeologists have uncovered what they describe as a 鈥榥ationally significant鈥� Anglo-Saxon burial ground during excavations for the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk.

Among the discoveries is a grave containing two individuals buried alongside a harnessed horse with weapons and personal effects. The finds, dated to the 7th century, suggest the individuals were elite members of Anglo-Saxon society and reflect their complex burial traditions.

The team from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA), working on behalf of Sizewell C, identified at least 11 burial mounds, known as barrows, along with cremation and inhumation burials. All had been arranged across a prominent point in the landscape near Theberton in Suffolk.

Despite poor bone preservation caused by the local sandy soils, detailed excavation and recording have preserved information about burial practices and social status in early Medieval Suffolk.

Details of the discovery will feature in an episode of Digging for Britain on BBC Two at 9pm tomorrow (Wednesday 14^th January), also available on iPlayer.

OCA project officer Len Middleton said: 鈥淓xcavating a section of the Sizewell Link Road has been an exciting experience for me and the team. The site is an early Anglo-Saxon barrow cemetery dating from the 6th to 7th centuries, with both inhumation and cremation burials, many furnished with weapons, jewellery and vessels. Soil conditions have resulted in little preservation 鈥� we are instead left with striking sand silhouettes that capture the outlines of the bodies in remarkable detail.

鈥淥ne barrow, containing a horse and two individuals buried with weapons and personal items, stands out as a 鈥榩rincely鈥� burial 鈥� part of the same elite tradition seen at Sutton Hoo, Snape and Prittlewell. Discoveries like this are of national importance because they deepen our understanding of power, belief, and identity in early medieval England, and how those ideas were expressed along the East Anglian coast.鈥�

Other finds from recent Sizewell C excavations include evidence of Roman industrial activity, such as a pottery kiln discovered in Middleton, and an Iron Age oak ladder found at the same site.

Sizewell C chief executive Nigel Cann said: 鈥淭he Anglo-Saxon burial ground uncovered during preparatory works for our 6.5km Sizewell Link Road offers a fascinating glimpse into Suffolk鈥檚 rich heritage and the lives of its early communities. Working closely with OCA, we have ensured these finds are carefully recorded and preserved for future study. This project demonstrates how major infrastructure developments can contribute to understanding our past while building for the future.鈥�

In 2023, OCA archaeologists working near the site of the future power station discovered a hoard of more than 300 silver coins from the 11th century, encased in lead and cloth. Nicknamed 鈥榯he pasty鈥� 鈥� due to its resemblance to a Cornish pasty 鈥� the hoard is believed to have been a savings pot buried by a local figure as a precaution during a time of significant social and political unrest in the 11th century.

Archaeologists have also uncovered evidence of prehistoric settlements dating back to the Bronze Age, and the remains of numerous medieval ovens and structures.

Across 70 sites, about 200 OCA archaeologists are excavating roughly two million square metres 鈥� making Sizewell C the largest and most complex dig of a generation.

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