Man in white turtleneck holding up small piece of metal
Peter Pentz, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark, sees many similarites between the stamp and the Sutton Hoo helmet. John Fhær Engedal Nissen / The National Museum of Denmark
Two years ago, Jan Hjort was using a metal detector to scan a field on the Danish island of Tåsinge when he discovered a small piece of metal covered in engravings. At first, Hjort didn’t think much of his find. But when he took a closer look, he realized he’d likely stumbled upon something remarkable.
Now, researchers say Hjort’s find has the potential to rewrite the history of one of Britain’s most famous artifacts. The images on the small metal stamp are similar to those found on the Sutton Hoo helmet, which was unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon ship burial site in Britain in 1939.
Archaeologists have long theorized the helmet originated in Sweden. But Hjort’s discovery suggests it may have come from Denmark instead.
Metal helmet against black backdground
Discovered in pieces, the Sutton Hoo helmet has been carefully pieced back together. It's now on display at the British Museum.
The helmet was among more than 260 items discovered at an estate in Suffolk, England, in the late 1930s. Self-taught archaeologist Basil Brown and landowner Edith Pretty unearthed elaborately decorated weapons, armor, military equipment, gold coins, horse bridles and an 88-foot-long burial ship that once held human remains. The treasures date to the sixth or seventh century C.E.
Scholars believe Sutton Hoo may have been the final resting place of Raedwald, a king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia who died around 624 C.E. The site drew comparisons to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, and the hoard became known as “Britain’s Tutankhamun.”
The helmet was found in pieces, which researchers painstakingly pieced back together. The restored helmet—which is made of iron and tinned copper alloy—is now on display at the British Museum and often appears on guidebooks and posters, per the London Times’ Kaya Burgess.
Functional and beautiful, the helmet is covered in intricate imagery, including bears, warriors on horseback and a dragon. Because of similarities to motifs found on helmets in eastern Sweden, archaeologists long assumed the Sutton Hoo helmet originated there, too. They suspected it might have been an heirloom or a diplomatic gift to Raedwald.
But the newly discovered metal stamp, which is known as a “patrice,” suggests the helmet could have come from Denmark, according to a translated statement from the National Museum of Denmark. Researchers discovered many similarities between the two artifacts, including the shape of the horse’s harness, the cuff on the warrior’s wrist and the warrior’s hair. The horses also appear to be almost identical.
Greenish metal artifact covered in imagery
The small metal stamp was discovered on the Danish island of Tåsinge. Mads Lou Bendtsen / The National Museum of Denmark
“The stylistic similarities are so significant,” says Peter Pentz, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark, to BBC News’ Adrienne Murray and James Brooks. “This is the closest link we've ever seen.”
The motifs are so similar that Pentz believes they were not only made in the same place, but were also made by the same craftsmen, according to the statement.
If the Suttoo Hoo helmet did come from Denmark, that revelation could “significantly alter our understanding of the power dynamics in Northern Europe during the 7th century,” Pentz tells Arkeonews. It suggests Denmark played a more influential role in Northern Europe than historians previously thought. Denmark may even have been one of the region’s leading central powers, with England and Sweden as peripheral outposts.
But not everyone is convinced the stamp proves a link between the Sutton Hoo helmet and Denmark, per BBC News. It’s possible the stamp originated somewhere else and then was transported to Denmark, for example. And similar motifs have also been found in Germany, which suggests they may not be unique to Denmark.
Researchers hope to perform 3D scans of the helmet and the stamp so they can make a more detailed comparison. In the meantime, the metal stamp will be displayed at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen starting in April.
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Sarah Kuta | READ MORE
Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.
Filed Under: Archaeology, Denmark, England, European History, History, Sweden