Six Anglo-Saxon graves believed to be the oldest ever found in Britain have been discovered on a waterlogged site in a river valley in Norfolk, alongside 81 coffins made from hollowed oak trunks. Archaeologists think the startlingly well-preserved plank-lined graves were part of the burial ground of an early Christian community, dating from between the 7th and 9th centuries. Finding timber graves of this age is extremely rare, due to wood’s tendency to leave little more than a decayed smudge in the earth. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Aerial view of plank-lined graves and coffins made from hollowed tree trunks. “The site was in use in the heyday of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia, and positioned next to a strategic river cross.

Source: The Guardian November 16, 2016 00:00 UTC