Taplow burial
Encyclopedia
The Taplow burial is a 7th century Anglo-Saxon
burial mound, situated in the churchyard of Taplow Court
, Buckinghamshire
. The burial dates to ca. AD 620, roughly contemporary with the Sutton Hoo
burial. The barrow is situated on a hill overlooking the Thames Valley
.
The name Taplow
itself is in origin that of the burial mound, from Old English Tæppas hláw "Tæppa's mound", so that the name of the unknown chief or nobleman buried in the mound would seem to have been Tæppa.
The burial was excavated in 1883 and a number of treasures were discovered, unrivalled until the discovery of the Sutton Hoo burial in 1939. The "local antiquarians" who excavated the site in 1883 caused a lot of damage to the site and failed to keep a consistent record of their observations.
Among the grave goods, now in the British Museum
, were 19 vessels for feasting and drinking, at least three weapon sets, a lyre, a gaming board, and rich textiles, the whole ensemble "recognisably a version of the standard Germanic princely kit". Many of the objects seem to be of Kentish
origin. The several gold braids in the burial may have been a symbol of royalty, and the largest horns and the belt buckle were apparently already old when buried, suggesting the treasure of a "Kentish princely family".
The location of the barrow is right at the boundary of the kingdoms of Wessex, Sussex
, Essex
and Mercia
during the early (6th century) Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy
. As the southern Chilterns region was conquered by Mercia in the early 7th century, the occupant of the barrow at the moment of his death might have been a Kentish sub-king under Mercian dominion.
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
burial mound, situated in the churchyard of Taplow Court
Taplow Court
Taplow Court is a large Victorian house in the village of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, England.The Taplow burial, a 7th century Anglo-Saxon burial mound, is in the grounds of the house, near the church....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. The burial dates to ca. AD 620, roughly contemporary with the Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo, near to Woodbridge, in the English county of Suffolk, is the site of two 6th and early 7th century cemeteries. One contained an undisturbed ship burial including a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts of outstanding art-historical and archaeological significance, now held in the British...
burial. The barrow is situated on a hill overlooking the Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
.
The name Taplow
Taplow
Taplow is a village and civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the east bank of the River Thames facing Maidenhead on the opposite bank. Taplow railway station is situated near the A4 south of the village....
itself is in origin that of the burial mound, from Old English Tæppas hláw "Tæppa's mound", so that the name of the unknown chief or nobleman buried in the mound would seem to have been Tæppa.
The burial was excavated in 1883 and a number of treasures were discovered, unrivalled until the discovery of the Sutton Hoo burial in 1939. The "local antiquarians" who excavated the site in 1883 caused a lot of damage to the site and failed to keep a consistent record of their observations.
Among the grave goods, now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, were 19 vessels for feasting and drinking, at least three weapon sets, a lyre, a gaming board, and rich textiles, the whole ensemble "recognisably a version of the standard Germanic princely kit". Many of the objects seem to be of Kentish
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
origin. The several gold braids in the burial may have been a symbol of royalty, and the largest horns and the belt buckle were apparently already old when buried, suggesting the treasure of a "Kentish princely family".
The location of the barrow is right at the boundary of the kingdoms of Wessex, Sussex
Kingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
, Essex
Kingdom of Essex
The Kingdom of Essex or Kingdom of the East Saxons was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was founded in the 6th century and covered the territory later occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent. Kings of Essex were...
and Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
during the early (6th century) Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy
Heptarchy
The Heptarchy is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of south, east, and central Great Britain during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, conventionally identified as seven: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex...
. As the southern Chilterns region was conquered by Mercia in the early 7th century, the occupant of the barrow at the moment of his death might have been a Kentish sub-king under Mercian dominion.
Artifacts
All at the British Museum, with several displayed in Room 41:- Pair of drinking horns
- Gold belt buckle (illustrated above)
- Four glass claw beakers
- Set of gaming pieces