The Society’s Anglo-Saxon Collection Re-Examined
Anglo Saxon iron objects from the cemeteries at Sarre and Bifrons discovered more than 140 years ago are being taken out of store and re-examined at the Sittingbourne-based Conservation Science Investigations (CSI) by a team led by Dana Goodburn-Brown. Gold and silver decorations have been revealed by x-ray and XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) spectrometry analysis on some objects and impressions of textiles and wood have also been discovered. The cemeteries were among the first and most important sites to be investigated by the Kent Archaeological Society, founded in 1857.
The Cemetery at Sarre was excavated between 1863-1865 by John Brent on land close to Sarre Mill with permission from Lord Conyngham. In total Brent excavated 272 early Anglo Saxon graves with a rich collection of grave goods. Two years later Brent and other KAS members, supervised by Godfrey Fausset, excavated The Bifrons cemetery on the land of Lord Conyngham in Patribourne. Most of the finds from Sarre and Bifrons—brooches, jewellery, crystal balls, beads and glass as well as iron artefacts—were placed in the KAS collection at Maidstone Museum. While permitting the KAS to conduct their excavation work Lord Conyngham had his gamekeeper opening graves on his own behalf for his private collection.
In 1954 this collection of material joined the other Bifrons objects in the KAS Collection located at Maidstone Museum, together forming a rich and important collection of artefacts which have been studied extensively over the years by eminent scholars.
The iron objects from this collection have never been studied as extensively as other parts of the collection. The reason for this is partly that the ironwork is less attractive to the eye than the jewellery, but also that at some point in the late 1800s the iron finds began to corrode and by 1892 when George Payne wrote a Catalogue to the Society’s Collection he reports:
“As none of the specimens of iron were dressed with a preservative solution at the time of their discovery, a very large number went to pieces, and the labels on those which remained became obliterated by the oxidization of the iron, thus rendering it impossible to properly classify them.” The identifying labels had been stuck to the objects and as they became illegible so it was no longer possible to identify which cemetery or grave the object came from. It was only thanks to patient work by the eminent scholar, Sonia Chadwick Hawkes (1933-1999) that the vast majority of the objects were eventually assigned to either the Bifrons or the Sarre Cemetery.
“The KAS has a fantastic collection, we ought to do more with it,” said the Hon. Curator, Dr Andrew Richardson.
In 2012 an initiative was taken to bring these items out of store and see what new insights into the design and construction of the iron artefacts could be achieved with modern technology. The most exciting discovery made by the CSI team was the revelation of gold inlay on a buckle and four squares of gold criss-crossed inlaid wires running along the back of the blade of the knife. XRF analysis also showed that the white metal plating on a stud was silver, something which could not have been guessed from the appearance of these objects. This discovery came early on; the second batch of items sent for assessment at CSI Sittingbourne revealed more modest secrets in the shape of a great many impressions of textiles and wood, which have not previously been recorded. This is a welcome addition to our knowledge about the material. Traces of old lacquer put on the objects to stop them corroding in the past has also been examined and it is hoped that better knowledge of the post-excavation history of the objects will aid the safeguarding of the collection for the future.
More Anglo Saxon ironwork is due to be examined in 2013 and it is hoped that more information will be revealed. The project is also an excellent opportunity for KAS members to see some of these objects from the KAS collection being worked on in the CSI Laboratory located in The Forum, Sittingbourne, before they return to storage in Maidstone.