New
New
Year 5

The graves of Anglo-Saxon women

I can understand some of the different roles women had in Anglo-Saxon society and how historians know about these.

New
New
Year 5

The graves of Anglo-Saxon women

I can understand some of the different roles women had in Anglo-Saxon society and how historians know about these.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The graves of Anglo-Saxon women have provided various objects that provide clues about their lives and status.
  2. One Anglo-Saxon woman's grave in Canterbury seems to be of a high status woman as it contained lots of fine jewellery.
  3. A brooch of foreign silver and garnet, likely to be a gift from the Kentish king, shows women could hold high status.
  4. Girdle-hangers have been found, imitating keys or latch-lifters, suggesting women controlled access to the home.
  5. Alongside domestic goods in female graves, they seem to symbolise the idea that women controlled access to the home.

Common misconception

Children may be confused by the etymology of 'girdle-hangers' .

Though they symbolise keys, girdle-hangers are called this because they hang from the girdle (belt or sash).

Keywords

  • Grave goods - grave goods are objects buried in people's graves, providing insights into their culture and daily life

  • Brooch - a brooch is a decorative pin used to fasten clothing together or as a fashion accessory

  • Girdle - a girdle is a belt or sash worn around the waist, typically used to hold clothes in place or as a fashion accessory

  • Symbolise - to symbolise means to represent or stand for something else, often conveying a deeper meaning or significance

  • Domestic - something domestic is something related to the home, like household chores or items inside the house

It may be beneficial to see what Anglo-Saxon female graves have been found near your setting and discuss the status of the woman/women found in them. This should be done sensitively regarding the discussion around wealth and importance.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What were the objects buried alongside individuals in Anglo-Saxon burial sites called?
tomb goods
Correct answer: grave goods
burial goods
vault goods
Q2.
What is the main reason that grave goods are valuable artefacts to archaeologists?
They can sell them for lots of money.
They can write books about them.
Correct answer: They can learn about people's lives in the past.
They can lend them to museums.
Q3.
What was the name of the Anglo-Saxon burial site found in 1938?
Stonehenge
Bath Abbey
Hadrian's Wall
Correct answer: Sutton Hoo
Q4.
What type of person was buried at Sutton Hoo?
Correct answer: an Anglo-Saxon king
an Anglo-Saxon peasant
an Anglo-Saxon farmer
an Anglo-Saxon queen
Q5.
Complete the sentence: Artefacts from Sutton Hoo included items covered with that may have come from India.
Correct Answer: garnets, Garnets
Q6.
Which objects found at Sutton Hoo showed that warfare was an important part of Anglo-Saxon life?
Correct answer: a sword
a silver bowl
Correct answer: a helmet
a piece of jewellry

6 Questions

Q1.
What source do historians draw most of their understanding about Anglo-Saxon women from?
manuscripts
tapestries
Correct answer: grave goods
paintings
Q2.
What is a girdle?
a type of weapon
Correct answer: a type of belt or sash
a type of shoe
a type of tool
Q3.
Complete the sentence: Something is something related to the home, like household chores or items inside the house.
Correct Answer: domestic, Domestic
Q4.
What was found at the grave of an Anglo-Saxon women's burial site in Kent which suggests she was important?
Correct answer: an amber and glass necklace
a iron helmet and sword
Correct answer: a silver, gold and garnet brooch
silver bowls from Byzantium
Q5.
What do some historians believe girdle-hangers symbolise?
Correct answer: Women were in control of access to Anglo-Saxon homes.
Women were owners of their Anglo-Saxon homes.
Women were not allowed to leave Anglo-Saxon homes.
Women had to build their Anglo-Saxon homes.
Q6.
Complete the sentence: Historians believe that finding items in female graves suggests that taking care of their families was one of the main jobs.
Correct Answer: domestic, Domestic

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