The Wolverton Anglo-Saxon Burial Display Case
The ‘Wolverton Warrior’ in the upper burial case
Over two years, the Alkham Valley Historical Research Group raised £14,000 for the display of finds recovered from the newly discovered Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Wolverton, in the Alkham Valley near Dover. The funding also provided finance for conservation of the finds and further analytical tests.
The Wolverton site lies at the north-eastern end of the 7km-long Alkham valley, running through the North Downs between Folkestone and Dover, and is situated on a steeply sloping ridge at the confluence of two valleys. Bisecting the Alkham Valley, the river Nailbourne runs past the ridge cemetery on its northern side. In Anglo-Saxon times the river may have provided important navigable access from the sea at Dover to the interior of Alkham as far inland as the hamlet of Drellingore.
Two interim reports covering the site’s background and general discoveries were published in KAS Newsletters, Spring issue No 75, 2008 and the Summer issue No 81, 2009. These can be viewed on the KAS website, www.kentarchaeology.org.uk.
The Deputy Mayor of Dover recently unveiled the newly-finished Wolverton Case at the Astor College for the Arts, Dover. This unique Anglo-Saxon display case will serve as an educational tool in the community for schools in the Dover District. Two flanking 2-metre high storyboards accompany the case. The first is an overview of the archaeological site and excavations, the other information on the burial practices and rites of pagan Anglo-Saxons, who they were, why they came to our shores and how they settled and lived. Through inventive design, the case enables creative use of archaeological material, often assigned to dusty storerooms, allowing the observer to peer underground back in time 1300 years.
The case, designed by the author, is the first of its kind in the UK. It was commissioned to exhibit a double-tiered 6th–7th century Anglo-Saxon burial in cross-section, as it was excavated at Wolverton. The pagan burials are of two important males, one buried with weapons. The ‘Wolverton Warrior’ burial, as it is known, also revealed curious burial practice that, to date, has no known comparison recorded in Kent. Four rough-cut chalk pedestals were used to carry two human femurs (leg bones), removed from another grave. The femurs, supported by the pedestals, were clearly used to carry the grave’s sealing material, probably small planks to cover the body. A skull and lower mandible (jaw bone), also removed from another burial, were placed above the warrior’s body, presumably after sealing of the grave but before the burial was completely backfilled. Three artefacts recovered from the burials have yet to be identified. The display carries the actual human remains on two levels just as found and are surrounded by their replicated artefacts. The conserved artefacts will go on display in a separate case at Dover Museum next year.
Many inter-school workshops have been arranged for this year and initial website comments, which have been posted by the Astor College for the Arts, are extremely positive.
“Astor College was able to extend the ‘museum type’ experience of the Wolverton Warrior, and other artefacts generously loaned to us by Vince Burrows from Alkham Archaeology, to its federation primary schools this week. Year 5 students from White Cliffs Primary College for the Arts and Year 4 students from Barton Primary School participated in combined History and English workshops revolving around the Anglo-Saxon remains. Year 7 and 8 Astor students assisted in the sessions and it proved to be a highly interesting and beneficial experience for all concerned”.
The case also demonstrates how local archaeological projects can stimulate and engage the community in partnerships with locally-run research projects. Most of the case funding was raised locally in the Alkham Valley, however, the Kent Archaeological Society (Fieldwork Committee), the Kent Community Foundation and Mark Loveday (Alkham resident), also contributed substantial grants to the project.
The case fabrication was undertaken by Mark Hargreaves (Kingsmead Associates Canterbury). The replicated artefacts contained within the case were made by William Laing (Lyminge resident). The intact Frankish wine bottle replica was made by Clive Soord (Ceramics Dept, University of Kent & Canterbury) and the information boards were written by Vince Burrows and edited by Kim Norton (Education Officer Dover Museum).
The Alkham Valley project is set to continue for around five years, with most of our research being geophysical lead surveys. This will provide excellent opportunities for local residents, students and other organisations for participation. Around eighteen locations have already been selected, inclusive of possible further cemetery sites, together with a search for ancient occupation along the banks of the Nailbourne river. Later in the project we propose cutting two trenches across the Nailbourne to ascertain its ancient depth, width and possible navigable use. Investigation and excavations in tracing a wood boundary system thought to date to the Anglo-Saxon period and possible Iron Age terracing is planned for mid 2012. Our project work is open to volunteers and University students. Please contact us via the project details below.
Please see links for further information on the display case:
Astor College homepage: Wolverton Warrior & the Primary School Workshop reports.
Website: www.astorcollege.org
Vince Burrows
Director,
The Alkham Valley Historical Research Project 2012-16
t: 01304 219550
m: 07935 284955
V.Burrows@btwiz.co.uk
www.alkhamarchaeology.co.uk
L to R: Vince Burrows, David Hannent (Deputy Mayor of Dover), William Laing (maker of replica artefacts) and Jon Iveson (Senior Curator, Dover Museum)