Volunteers with Suffolk County Council’s 'Rendlesham Revealed' project unearth royal hall of East Anglia's earliest kings

Volunteers with a community archaeological scheme have unearthed part of a royal hall built for East Anglia's first kings.

The groundbreaking find in Rendlesham was announced by Suffolk County Council today.

The foundations of the hall, built around 1,400 years ago, were discovered by a team of over 250 volunteers working as part of the 'Rendlesham Revealed' project.

The presence of a royal hall at the site was noted in the writings of the 8th Century monk Saint Bede, but its exact location had been lost to time - until now.

The ancient kings of East Anglia moved between various residences throughout the year, ruling from different halls across the region.

The unearthed structure was one of these important seats of government.

It was documented by an aerial survey in 2015, but excavations have only just been wrapped up.

The dig was supervised by Professor Christopher Scull, an expert in Anglo-Saxon history based at Cardiff University.

Professor Scull said: "The results of this season's excavation are of international importance.

"Rendlesham is the most extensive and materially wealthy settlement of its date known in England, and excavation of the Hall confirms that this is the royal residence recorded by Bede.

"Only at Rendlesham do we have the wider settlement and landscape context of an early English royal centre together with an assemblage of metalwork that illuminates the lives and activities of its inhabitants across the social range.

"Together, these are radically re-writing our understanding of the sophistication, complexity and international connections of society at that time.

"It has been wonderful working with our terrific team of partners and volunteers, who should be proud of what they have achieved.

"Their work is a major advance in our understanding of the early East Anglian Kingdom and the wider North Sea world of which it was a part."

The hall is part of a royal compound covering six acres of land.

Volunteers dug two large trenches, where they found copious evidence of habitation.

Fragments of jewellery, pottery and drinking vessels have been found, as well as extensive evidence of feasting and food preparation.

The project that brought the hall to light is run by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, in association with Cotswold Archaeology.

The service is a Suffolk County Council initiative.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund provided a £517,300 grant towards the Rendlesham scheme, now in its second year.

Over 250 volunteers were involved in the dig, including 100 pupils drawn from primary schools in Rendlesham, Eyke and Wickham Market.

In addition, young adults from Suffolk Mind and Suffolk Family Carers contributed extensively to the discovery.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Family Carers, Keiron Whall, said: "Suffolk Family Carers support young people from all over Suffolk, affected by a family member who has a long term illness or condition.

"This opportunity for 8 of our Young Carers, aged 12 to 16, to be involved in the archaeological fieldwork has been an exciting new experience, offering them respite from their day-to-day challenges

"The archaeology team made the young people feel so welcome and supported, teaching them new skills.

"We look forward to working with the project again in the future."

Provisional results from an analysis of this year's finds is expected in 2023.

Further fieldwork is also planned for next summer, and residents of Rendlesham and the surrounding area will again be given the opportunity to volunteer.