Starter quiz
- What were the objects buried alongside individuals in Anglo-Saxon burial sites called?
- tomb goods
- grave goods ✓
- burial goods
- vault goods
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- What is the main reason that grave goods are valuable artefacts to archaeologists?
- They can sell them for lots of money.
- They can write books about them.
- They can learn about people's lives in the past. ✓
- They can lend them to museums.
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- What was the name of the Anglo-Saxon burial site found in 1938?
- Stonehenge
- Bath Abbey
- Hadrian's Wall
- Sutton Hoo ✓
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- What type of person was buried at Sutton Hoo?
- an Anglo-Saxon king ✓
- an Anglo-Saxon peasant
- an Anglo-Saxon farmer
- an Anglo-Saxon queen
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- Complete the sentence: Artefacts from Sutton Hoo included items covered with ______ that may have come from India.
- 'garnets' ✓
- Which objects found at Sutton Hoo showed that warfare was an important part of Anglo-Saxon life?
- a sword ✓
- a silver bowl
- a helmet ✓
- a piece of jewellry
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Exit quiz
- What source do historians draw most of their understanding about Anglo-Saxon women from?
- manuscripts
- tapestries
- grave goods ✓
- paintings
-
- What is a girdle?
- a type of weapon
- a type of belt or sash ✓
- a type of shoe
- a type of tool
-
- Complete the sentence: Something ______ is something related to the home, like household chores or items inside the house.
- 'domestic' ✓
- What was found at the grave of an Anglo-Saxon women's burial site in Kent which suggests she was important?
- an amber and glass necklace ✓
- a iron helmet and sword
- a silver, gold and garnet brooch ✓
- silver bowls from Byzantium
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- What do some historians believe girdle-hangers symbolise?
- Women were in control of access to Anglo-Saxon homes. ✓
- Women were owners of their Anglo-Saxon homes.
- Women were not allowed to leave Anglo-Saxon homes.
- Women had to build their Anglo-Saxon homes.
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- Complete the sentence: Historians believe that finding ______ items in female graves suggests that taking care of their families was one of the main jobs.
- 'domestic' ✓
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The graves of Anglo-Saxon women have provided various objects that provide clues about their lives and status.
- One Anglo-Saxon woman's grave in Canterbury seems to be of a high status woman as it contained lots of fine jewellery.
- A brooch of foreign silver and garnet, likely to be a gift from the Kentish king, shows women could hold high status.
- Girdle-hangers have been found, imitating keys or latch-lifters, suggesting women controlled access to the home.
- Alongside domestic goods in female graves, they seem to symbolise the idea that women controlled access to the home.
Common misconception
Children may be confused by the etymology of 'girdle-hangers' .
Though they symbolise keys, girdle-hangers are called this because they hang from the girdle (belt or sash).
Keywords
Grave goods - grave goods are objects buried in people's graves, providing insights into their culture and daily life
Brooch - a brooch is a decorative pin used to fasten clothing together or as a fashion accessory
Girdle - a girdle is a belt or sash worn around the waist, typically used to hold clothes in place or as a fashion accessory
Symbolise - to symbolise means to represent or stand for something else, often conveying a deeper meaning or significance
Domestic - something domestic is something related to the home, like household chores or items inside the house
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