(Guardian) Anglo-Saxon graves in Norfolk thought to be oldest found in UK

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. Tree ring dating is being carried out to establish a more precise age.

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.

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