Ultimately, Brunning doesn't think the identity is so important: 'Modern science may have solved the mystery about whether someone was buried here at all. From an early age he could be found digging up fields. The Sutton Hoo scholar Rupert Bruce-Mitford ensured that Brown was awarded a Civil list pension of £250 in 1966. She approached a local museum for advice, and the staff suggested Basil Brown for the job. Basil Brown was born in 1888 in Bucklesham, east of Ipswich, to George Brown (1863–1932) and Charlotte Wait (c.1854–1931), daughter of John Wait of Great Barrington, Gloucestershire. Based on the 2007 namesake novel by John Preston, ‘The Dig’ chronicles the remarkable story of the Sutton Hoo excavation. Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Ipswich Museum curate some of the archaeological objects. [36], On 14 August Brown testified at a treasure trove inquest which decided that the finds, transported to London for safekeeping due to the threat of war and concealed underground at Aldwych tube station, belonged to Pretty. [4][31][32][26], A meeting convened at Sutton Hoo by representatives of the British Museum, the Office of Works, Cambridge University, Ipswich Museum, and the Suffolk Institute three days later, gave Phillips control over excavations, starting in July. Brown was allowed to continue, and uncovered the burial chamber on 14 June, followed later by the ship's stern. Pretty demurred at the possible indefinite suspension of excavation that might result, but neither Brown nor Maynard were willing to continue. Basil Brown (1888-1977) was invited to excavate at Sutton Hoo, Sutton in 1938-9, and made astounding discoveries there. Basil Brown was an archaeologist who worked for Ipswich Museum Archaeologist Basil Brown unearthed some of the greatest treasures ever found in the UK. Yet he continues to be largely unacknowledged for his work at Sutton Hoo. The Dig stars Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown, the self-taught archaeologist who first made the discovery underneath the mysterious mounds at Sutton Hoo … [15][16][17], Sutton Hoo farm derives its name in part from the surrounding parish of Sutton and its village, where 77 households lived by 1086. On 11 May[26] he discovered iron rivets that were similar but bigger than those found in the 2nd mound, suggesting an even larger sailing vessel than the boat found earlier. Metal items survived the acidic soil better than organic items like fabric and wood, but some more delicate things were preserved (including a tiny ladybird). But the 1939 excavation carried out by Basil Brown and the other archaeologists was done so well that its results went on to transform our understanding of this time in history, and the lives and beliefs of the people who lived then. The resulting prop, produced from Basil Brown’s handkerchief at a key moment in the film, is thoroughly convincing. More than a grave, it was a spectacular funerary monument on an epic scale: a 27m (88.6ft) long ship with a burial chamber full of dazzling riches. [5] Out of this was developed the County Sites and Monuments Record of Suffolk, the basis of the record as it exists today. The Anglo Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo, Edith Pretty and how Sutton Hoo came to the British Museum. Each coin came from a different mint in Francia, across the English Channel, and they provide key evidence for the date of the burial, in the early seventh century. Basil Brown (1888 -1977) was a self-taught archaeologist who started working as an archaeological contractor for Ipswich Museum in 1935. This was clearly the grave of an important person – someone meant to be remembered. In Sarah’s next article, she will investigate Basil Brown’s passion for local history, as well as taking a closer look at one of Basil’s digs on his doorstep in Rickinghall. Where did he go? The Sutton Hoo cache was unearthed by Basil Brown, an untrained excavator hired by landowner Edith Pretty, who was curious about what lay beneath the barrows on … At a 1937 fete in nearby Woodbridge, Pretty discussed the possibility of opening them with Vincent B. Redstone, member of several historical and archaeological societies. The Sutton Hoo grave is remarkable for the majesty of its contents and its monumental scale. The mourners at Sutton Hoo chose and arranged the grave goods around the burial chamber in a meaningful way to transmit messages about the dead person's identity and status in society – as a mighty leader, wealthy, generous, connected with the wider world and the glorious Roman past. [5] The items found at Sutton Hoo as a result of his initial excavations continue to be studied through current scientific methods from time to time at the British Museum – most recently, yielding additional insights into the origin of bitumen found among the grave goods. He encouraged groups of children to work on his sites, and introduced a whole generation of youngsters to the processes of archaeology and the fascination of what lay under the ploughed fields of the county. Meanwhile, Maynard wrote to Manx Museum to find out more about ship burials. She highlights the effort and manpower that would have been necessary to position and bury the ship – it would have involved dragging the ship uphill from the River Deben, digging a large trench, cutting trees to craft the chamber, dressing it with finery and raising the mound. They effectively chose to enshrine that left-handedness in a very visual way at the funeral. [35] Phillips and Maynard had differences of opinion, leading Phillips to exclude the Ipswich Museum. Working with a farm labourer Brown took care to cover the excavated ship site with hessian and bracken. A Suffolk resident, Brown left school at … [6][7] Brown observed the final stages of the transit of Mercury early in the morning of 7 May 1924 with a 2” (50mm) aperture telescope. Maynard recommended local archaeologist Basil Brown (played by Ralph Fiennes in The Dig movie) to find out what, if anything, lay beneath the strange mounds on Pretty's land. Chapter 4, in Rupert Bruce-Mitford, This page was last edited on 4 March 2021, at 20:43. We use cookies to make our website work more efficiently, to provide you with more personalised services or advertising to you, and to analyse traffic on our website. In Sarah’s next article, she will investigate Basil Brown’s passion for local history, as well as taking a closer look at one of Basil’s digs on his doorstep in Rickinghall. Explore the many wild and wonderful depictions of animals found in the Museum's collection. [8] In the same year he published articles on astronomical mapping and cataloguing in The English Mechanic and World of Science magazine. Domestic objects lay at the east end of the chamber, including wooden tubs and buckets, two small cauldrons and one very large one with an intricate iron chain that suspended it over a fire. The Basil Brown Collection, owned by Ipswich Museum, contains diaries, notebooks and photograph albums. Netflix’s new film The Dig, starring Ralph Fiennes and Carrie Mulligan, is based on the true story of Sutton Hoo, the site of ancient Anglo-Saxon burial mounds that were excavated in Suffolk, England in 1939. Both realised it was a find of, potentially, great significance. [27], In August 1938 Brown went back to work for the Ipswich Museum, returning to the dig at Stanton Chare. The Basil Brown Collection, owned by Ipswich Museum, contains diaries, notebooks and photograph albums. There was also a large decorated purse containing 37 gold coins, three blank coins and two small ingots, which caused a reaction among archaeologists. [3] He uncovered evidence of a Neolithic presence, Roman occupation and the site of a Saxon nobleman's house. On 8 May 1939 he started to excavate Mound 1, the largest mound, assisted on Pretty's instructions by gardener John Jacobs and gamekeeper William Spooner. Where did he come from? Self-taught, he discovered and excavated a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo in 1939, which has come to be called "one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time". When she approached Ipswich Museum for advice, they recommended a local archaeologist called Basil Brown. [3][4] He later attended Rickinghall School and also received some private tutoring. [19] The land was known variously as "Hows", "Hough", "Howe", and eventually "Hoo Farm" by the 19th century (c.1834–65). For more information on how we use cookies and how to manage cookies, please follow the 'Read more' link, otherwise select 'Accept and close'. Despite the lack of human remains, it's still been possible to glean personal information about the inhabitant. She continues: The Medieval Europe gallery showcases many of the world's greatest medieval treasures. "Star Atlases and Charts". Astronomical Atlases was sufficiently popular to be reprinted in 1968, with his publisher describing it as "filling an inexplicable gap in the literature". Sutton Hoo proved otherwise. Basil Brown kept Ipswich Museum curator Guy Maynard in the loop. This led to early speculation over whether the Sutton Hoo ship burial was actually a cenotaph – an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person whose remains are elsewhere. The majority of the Basil Brown archives are held by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service and the Suffolk Record Office (Ipswich). Redstone invited the curator of the Ipswich Corporation Museum, Guy Maynard, to a meeting with Pretty in July 1937, and Maynard offered the services of Brown as excavator. It shows that while these objects might sit quietly in a display case, they're not actually quiet objects. [4], At Maynard's request, due to his curiosity about the axe, Brown returned to the employment of Pretty for a second season. But who was it? Socially, Basil Brown was … A nested set of ten silver bowls was placed to the right of the body. Basil Brown only recently got his due. Promising finds were made, and Brown returned … [23] Given the proposed time limit of two weeks, Brown decided to copy the cross-trench digging methods used in 1934 excavations of Iron Age mounds at Warborough Hill in Norfolk, where similar time constraints had applied. Basil Brown’s drawing of one of the Calke Wood kilns It was also at this time that Basil Brown’s archaeological skills came to the attention of the Ipswich Museum who became his employer through until his retirement in 1961. Image: Basil Brown He’d dug adjacent mounds the previous year but found only fragments of Anglo-Saxon artefacts looted centuries before. He's initially hired by Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) to investigate a burial mound on her property in Suffolk, England, with the storyline staying true to the actual 1939 Sutton Hoo excavation. At a 1937 fete in nearby Woodbridge, Pretty discussed the possibility of opening them with Vincent B. Redstone, member of several historical and archaeological societies. On 20 July Brown was driven to Aldeburgh by Pretty's chauffeur,[28] where he found the Sutton Hoo rivet to be very similar to those from Snape. Maynard thought that the boat was a cenotaph, as no evidence of a body was found, a position that he still retained by 1963. Signs of a cremation were found, along with a gold-plated shield boss and glass fragments. Basil Brown’s drawing of one of the Calke Wood kilns It was also at this time that Basil Brown’s archaeological skills came to the attention of the Ipswich Museum who became his employer through until his retirement in 1961. She was put in touch with the local Ipswich Museum, which arranged for Basil Brown, an amateur archaeologist who worked with the institution, to begin excavations. "Basil Brown's diary of the excavations at Sutton Hoo in 1938—39". Brown, B. [4], Brown first tackled what was later identified as Mound 3. This was clearly the grave of an important person – someone meant to be remembered. British Museum curators have teamed up with illustrator Craig Williams to recreate how the burial chamber may have looked. Garnets line the eyebrows, but only one is backed with gold foil reflectors – perhaps a reference to the one-eyed god, Woden. Basil Brown’s father was a farmer from whom he learned a lot about the soil and geology of East Anglia.   Adapted from John Preston’s 2007 novel, The Dig tells the true story of Basil Brown (Fiennes), a self-taught excavator working for a regional museum who gets a … [4], Brown returned again to his work at Stanton Chare in late 1939. He brought along books spanning the Bronze Age to the Anglo-Saxon period and some excavation reports. [4][38] While he never published material on his archaeological work as a sole author,[1] his meticulously kept notebooks, including photographs, plans and drawings, are now kept by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service and Ipswich Records Office. [3][4] Although declared medically unfit for war service at the outbreak of World War I, Brown served as a volunteer in the Suffolk Royal Army Medical Corps from 16 October 1918 to 31 October 1919. A whetstone (sharpening stone) was also placed along this wall. Visit the online shop. [3] In 1952 he undertook excavations in Rickinghall that uncovered a long-since disappeared Lady Chapel at the Superior Church and a Norman font at the Inferior Church. [5] In 1961 Brown retired from Ipswich Museum, but continued to conduct excavations at Broom Hills in Rickinghall between 1964 and 1968. [3][4] Soon after his birth, the Browns moved to Church Farm near Rickinghall, where his father began work as a tenant farmer. It also retains a significant proportion of his records from sites that he worked on other than Sutton Hoo. As Basil and a team of archaeologists dug deeper, they unearthed fine feasting vessels, deluxe hanging bowls, silverware from distant Byzantium, luxurious textiles, gold dress accessories set with Sri Lankan garnets and the iconic helmet with human mask. [4], During World War II Brown performed a few archaeological tasks for the Ipswich Museum, but was principally engaged in civil defence work in Suffolk. Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown, the self-taught archaelogist who uncovered Britain's greatest treasure. ', The west end of the burial chamber is lifted. An enormous wooden shield was placed by the chamber's west wall (the head end of the burial). More than a grave, it was a spectacular funerary monument on an epic scale: a 27m (88.6ft) long ship with a burial chamber full of dazzling riches. Edith Pretty hired Basil Brown, agreeing to pay him 30 shillings a week for two weeks to explore the mounds. The main character of The Dig, Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), decides to hire a self-taught archaeologist, Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), to do an excavation of her backyard.Her husband had died a few years earlier in 1934, so in 1938, it was about time she learned what the mounds in her Suffolk backyard were. Archaeological work started to provide a semi-regular income for him, but at a lower wage of £1 10 shillings[13] per week, less than the agricultural minimum wage,[14] so that he had to continue working as an insurance agent. She continues: Redstone and the curator of the Ipswich Corporation Museum, Guy Maynard, met Edith in July regarding the project, and self-taught Suffolk archaeologist Basil Brown was subsequently invited to excavate the mounds. [26] Employed by the Office of Works, he convened a team that included W. F. Grimes, O. G. S. Crawford, and Stuart and Peggy Piggot. Redstone invited the curator of the Ipswich Corporation Museum, Guy Maynard, to a meeting with Pretty in July 1937, and Maynard offered the services of Brown as excavator. He was provided with accommodation at the estate and two assistants, Bert Fuller and Tom Sawyer. ", Brown, B. J. W., G. M. Knocker, N. Smedley, and S. E. West (1954). Maynard forwarded a drawing which arrived on 15 July and showed the pattern of the Snape boat's rivets. One inscription is messier than the other, and may have been added later by someone who wasn't familiar with Greek. [1][3] His first contract with the Museum and the Suffolk Institute was for thirteen weeks of work in 1935 at Stuston and at Stanton Chare at £2 per week. Portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, Basil is one of the primary subjects in The Dig. Carey Mulligan stars as Edith Pretty, an English widow who employs self-taught archeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate several ancient mounds in her property.What they find changes the foundational understanding of the Dark Ages. 'Mourners laid the sword on the dead person's right-hand side, suggesting that's where the owner would have worn it in life. [18] Sutton is a compound noun formed from the Old English sut (south) and tun (enclosed settlement or farm). He died on 12 March 1977 of pneumonia at his home "Cambria" in Rickinghall[4] and was cremated at Ipswich crematorium on 17 March. In this way Brown got to know Guy Maynard, curator of the Museum (1920 to 1952) and H. A. Harris, secretary of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. [27], Brown excavated what was later called Mound 4, which he found to have been completely emptied of archaeological evidence by robbers. Brown… He was provided with accommodation at the estate and two assistants, Bert Fuller and Tom Sawyer. That's a more valuable outcome, in my view.' 'These wear patterns on the sword were made by this person's actual hand. The British Museum now recognises the contribution, but there was little of that when the exhibits first went on display. [41], In addition, Brown was mentioned 44 times in observation reports published in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association. Circa 625-630. ', Brunning extrapolates that being left-handed could have provided an advantage in battle as most combatants might be anticipating a right-handed attack. 'This single burial in a pretty corner of Suffolk embodied a society of remarkable artistic achievement, complex belief systems and far-reaching international connections, not to mention immense personal power and wealth,' says Brunning. He arrived on June 20, 1938 and stayed with Pretty's chauffeur. Basil Brown and two assistant diggers began uncovering riches. Left: Painted portrait of Edith Pretty (© British Museum); Right: Basil Brown (photo: Suffolk Archaeological Unit) In 1939 Mrs Edith Pretty, a landowner at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, asked archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the largest of several Anglo-Saxon burial mounds on her property. Explore the collection See all. [5], Brown's contributions to archaeology were recognised in 2009 by a plaque in Rickinghall Inferior Church. Brown, Basil (1974). It seemed to have been cut in half, with one half possibly used as a cover over the other half. When it was unearthed in 1939, any bodily remains were claimed by the acidic local soil to leave only a human-shaped gap among the treasures within. But it also rewrote our understanding of a time that we had previously misunderstood. [4][5] Brown also observed meteors, the aurora and the zodiacal light for the BAA. An amateur archaeologist used a coal shovel to … He also joined the police as a special constable. Discovery of the burial ground. Visit West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum to see Basil Brown’s original notebook, with sketches and notes from his excavations. Soon, Basil Brown excavation leads to him uncovering rivets of a ship. Brown (played in The Dig by Ralph Fiennes) was self-taught archeologist. [23][24][25], With the help of Pretty's labourers, Brown excavated three mounds, discovering that they were burial sites showing signs of robbery during the medieval period. Brown cycled to Ipswich to report the find to Maynard, who advised him to proceed with care in uncovering the impression of the ship and its rivets. Using text books and radio broadcasts Brown taught himself Latin and learnt to speak French fluently, while also acquiring some knowledge of Greek, German and Spanish. The modern archaeological investigation of the site began in 1938 when the new landowner Mrs. Edith May Pretty, assisted by Basil Brown, opened three mounds. Following Maynard's recommendation Brown removed the soil and found a "grave deposit", offset from the mound's centre. And what can the Sutton Hoo excavation tell us about Anglo-Saxon society? This was very ornate, decorated with a ring of animal heads around the rim and images of a bird-of-prey and dragon. The platter was already a century old when buried at Sutton Hoo, and reflects East Anglia's long-distance connections. Fiennes plays Basil Brown, the real-life, self-taught excavator and archaeologist who had a big role in the discovery of what is considered to be “one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time,” according to a curator for the British Museum … He joined the Ipswich and District Natural History Society and then the District Astronomical Society (1950–1957) when it broke away from its parent body. Visit West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum to see Basil Brown’s original notebook, with sketches and notes from his excavations. [5] From the age of five Basil studied astronomical texts that he had inherited from his grandfather. Brown not only uncovered the impression left in the sandy soil by a 27-metre-long ship from the 7th century AD, but evidence of robbers who had stopped before they had reached the level of a burial deposit. Mr Howgego says: “Basil was really interesting, and was really interested by finding out new things and getting stuck in. Credit: ... Edith Pretty donated all of the artifacts to the British Museum. [27][23] A ship's rivet was discovered, along with Bronze Age pottery shards and a bead. Initially he found nothing, but evidence suggested a bowl-shaped area had been dug below. He realizes that Edith’s estate could be the burial site of a prominent king.   Brunning's study of the Sutton Hoo sword has led her to believe that the owner was left-handed, with patterns of wear indicating it was worn on the right side and carried in the left hand. But who was it? The press had come to learn of the significance of the find by 28 July. So while their identity is still a mystery to us, we can almost reach though time and touch them.'. Maynard, G., Brown, B., Spencer, H. E. P., Grimes, W. F., and Moore, I. E. (1935). [3][37], After the war Brown was again employed by the Ipswich Museum, nominally as an "attendant", but with archaeological, external duties. Based on knowledge of ship burials in Norway, Brown and Maynard surmised that a roof had covered the burial chamber. 10% off for Members Become a Member and enjoy a 10% discount at all of the Museum's shops. To mark the centenary of the death of Stephen Groombridge, Brown published an article on him in the journal of the BAA in 1932. Early Saxon pottery was found, lying on a narrow 6-foot long wooden tray-like object – "a mere film of rotted wood fibres", plus an iron axe that Maynard later considered to be Viking ("Scandinavian"). The helmet is covered in complicated imagery, including fighting and dancing warriors, and fierce creatures. [33][34][2], Having ensconced himself in the Bull Hotel at Woodbridge on 8 July, Phillips took charge of the excavations on 11 July. Helmet, early seventh century. He arranged to meet with Maynard and they drove to Sutton Hoo from Ipswich on 6 June to visit the site. Weatherly's) that he stopped excavating completely before cycling some 15 miles to, Micklewood Green may refer to an older name for, The English Mechanic and World of Science, Reports on a Roman pottery making site at Foxledge Common, Wattisfield, Suffolk, The Roman settlement at Stanton Chair (Chare) near Ixworth, Suffolk, "Edith Pretty's gift of Saxon gold in the British Museum", "Basil Brown: The invisible archaeologist", "Recent archaeological field work in Suffolk", "Who was Mr Barritt? 'I felt a little jolt when I put this theory together. [4] Basil and May lived and worked on his father's farm even after George Brown had died, with May assuming responsibility for a dairy. Brown, B. Through his connection to the museum, he got the opportunity to work at the Sutton Hoo site. In 1939, with Britain on the brink of the Second World War, Sutton Hoo landowner Edith Pretty asked local archaeologist Basil Brown to excavate the largest of several burial mounds on her estate. Their shape and decoration show that they came from the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean, during the sixth century. Pretty wrote to make an appointment for Brown with the curator of Aldeburgh Museum, where artefacts from the Snape excavation were housed. Prop-maker Len Wheeler came to view the iron ship rivets in the British Museum’s stores and I watched, amazed, as he fashioned a perfect copy from metal rods and putty – the only difference being that it was a strange colour! Spanning over 700 years, this Room traces the story of Europe from 300 AD. [5] He served in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes and in the Royal Observer Corps post at Micklewood Green. He may have held power over neighbouring kingdoms too, which may have earned him a good send off.'. [5], In 1965, during the Broom Hills excavations, Brown suffered either a stroke or a heart attack, which ended his active involvement in archaeological digs. [5] Intrigued by the alignment of ancient sites, he used a compass and measurements to uncover eight medieval buildings (one at Burgate, where his father had been born), identified Roman settlements, and traced ancient roads. [3][5][4], By 1934 the smallholding had become so unviable that Brown gave it up. China is one of the world's oldest civilisations and home to a quarter of the world's population. 2. “It is true that Basil was sidelined by the establishment,” he says. The face mask together forms a dragon whose wings make the eyebrows and tail the moustache. Amateur archaeologist Basil Brown famously made the discovery of a lifetime back in 1939, when he brushed away the Suffolk soil and revealed the richest intact early medieval grave in Europe. The modern archaeological investigation of the site began in 1938 when the new landowner Mrs. Edith May Pretty, assisted by Basil Brown, opened three mounds. On 11 July Brown found more ship's rivets, and asked Ipswich Museum to forward material on the Snape ship burial which was excavated in 1862–63. Grace Cook. The farm and its mounds have been recorded on maps since at least 1601, when John Norden included it in his survey of Sir Michael Stanhope's estates between Woodbridge and Aldeburgh. [27][4], In what was later known as Mound 2, Brown used the east – west compass-bearing of the excavated board found in Mound 3 to align a 6-foot wide trench. The news of Brown’s findings spreads like wildfire and gains national attention. (1932). Basil Brown; Lily James; British Museum; Carey Mulligan; Mark Meszoros @MarkMeszoros on Twitter. [40] A street in Rickinghall, the village where Brown lived, was named Basil Brown Close. Below these were two silver spoons, also probably Byzantine, their handles inscribed in Greek. Realizing the potential grandeur of the find, Maynard recommended to Pretty that they involve the British Museum's Department of British Antiquities. Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online. [1], In his spare time Brown continued to investigate the countryside in north Suffolk for Roman remains. [3] Also in 1932 Brown’s Astronomical Atlases, Maps and Charts: An Historical and General Guide appeared in print which he had been working on since 1928. This led to the discovery of the burial ship and its treasure. Inside the burial mound was the imprint of a decayed ship and a central chamber filled with treasures. Landowner Edith May Pretty (1883–1942) was curious about the contents of about eighteen ancient mounds on her Sutton Hoo estate in southeast Suffolk. The British Museum and the National Trust hold much of his archives associated with the Sutton Hoo excavations. Archaeologist Basil Brown uncovered two early Medieval cemeteries on the property of Edith Pretty that dated back 1,400 years. Amateur archaeologist Basil Brown famously made the discovery of a lifetime back in 1939, when he brushed away the Suffolk soil and revealed the richest intact early medieval grave in Europe.