Horse, Warrior: Famous residents of RAF Lakenheath

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin O'Shea
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  A few months into excavation at RAF Lakenheath, a team of archaeologists discovered a uniquely large grave site that brought thousands of visitors and uncovered what was soon to be known as the Lakenheath Warrior.

The team began excavating the grounds of RAF Lakenheath in July 1997, in search of early Anglo-Saxon remains. They discovered a horse and warrior burial on base shortly after they first broke ground.

Jo Caruth, a senior project officer and archaeologist with Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, came to RAF Lakenheath, Jan. 14, to share her story about, in her opinion, the most famous resident of RAF Lakenheath.

According to Caruth, there was a thriving Roman settlement around the time of the late Roman occupation focused around today's Peacekeeper Park, also known on base as the duck pond.

Three large cemeteries were excavated around base, where, in total, 435 Anglo-Saxon burials and up to 17 cremations were found.

"In 1997, we dug up 267 burials in the site of the really big dorm opposite of the running track," Caruth said. "In 1999, we excavated under the skill center, and, in 2001 we excavated the hospital annex car park."

After the first few months, Caruth and her team came across a burial which immediately stood out to them.

"What we saw in the ground appeared to be a very large grave and appeared to have a ditch around it," Caruth said. "We didn't know what was going to be in there, but what we did know was anything that was marked like this was likely to contain somebody of great importance with the settlement or community."

The grave looked as though there had been a large mound of dirt over the top of it. According to Caruth, this style of grave indicates greater prominence, and that more effort went into digging the grave to honor the person going in it.

"The first thing we found was a really large piece of bone, and we couldn't identify what it was initially," Caruth added. "It had all these little copper objects on it. It turned out to be the horse's head with a bridle, and that was really what started the ball rolling."

Continuing to dig, they discovered more artifacts which helped them piece together the significance of this grave.

"So what we actually found in this grave was a man lying in the grave buried with his horse," Caruth said. "The man was buried with all sorts of other pieces of equipment. He was buried with a sword and a spear and a shield. With the horse, was a bucket and cuts of sheep at the bottom of the grave."

A radiocarbon test determined the man was born around A.D. 470 and was between 25-30 years old when he died; however, the way he passed was still in question.

"He had very strong muscle attachments, so there's no sign of how he died or any indication of injury or any trauma of the bones," Caruth said. "This isn't just a man and his horse dying in battle."

According to Caruth, the horse was a heavy-set-built pony around 45 years old, and approximately 14 hands high, or 4 feet 8 inches. After further examination, the team began to piece together the horse's story.

"The horse was, without doubt, sacrificed to go into that grave with the man, and it was important for the man to pass into the afterlife with his horse." Caruth stated.

Archaeologists found an indentation on top of the horse's head which meant the horse was sacrificed.  According to Caruth, there was a major blow to the front of the head which stunned the horse and caused damage to the bridal piece as it was struck. After further examination, the team concluded that the horse was walked up to the grave site and killed.

"What's unique about the burial is the presence of the bridal on the horses head, and it was that particular find that created all of the excitement and national coverage," Caruth said. "It's the first time that such an early bridle could be found in position on a horse's head."

Another item found in the grave was a bucket placed by the horse's head which may have held something for the man or food for the horse.

A specialist team looked at the stable isotopes in the man's bone, to determine what minerals were in the water at the point when teeth were forming. They concluded the man was originally from the Lakenheath area.

According to Caruth, about 2,000 people visited the site while it was being excavated.

The famous Lakenheath Warrior and horse are on display at the nearby Mildenhall Museum, along with other artifacts that were found in the grave during that memorable time in RAF Lakenheath's history.

You can visit the reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village and Museum at West Stow, West Suffolk, and see the burial grounds and exhibitions of the Anglo-Saxon royal family at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk.