In the eighth century, an English historian and monk called The Venerable Bede wrote of a king's village at "Rendlesham" and of a temple with both Christian and pre-Christian altars. In a rare and remarkable discovery, researchers claim to have unearthed the lost temple at a larger Anglo-Saxon settlement.

Search for the Lost 'Cult House'

Researchers from the University College London led a team of archaeologists in studying a pre-Christian temple from the time of the East Anglian Kings. The structure was unearthed last summer during an ongoing excavation at Sutton Hoo, a huge burial site in modern-day Suffolk county in eastern England.

The historic site was originally inhabited during the 17th century. Since its initial discovery in 1939, experts have been uncovering unexpected finds, such as 18 burial mounds and an Anglo-Saxon ship. Last year, the project uncovered the remains of a large royal hall which confirmed the location was a royal settlement.

Over 200 volunteers, including schoolchildren, helped the archaeologists unearth the foundations of the temple along with two other outer timber structures. The entire compound likely covered 37 acres (15 hectares), according to the Suffolk County Council.

Experts believe the royal compound may have been overseen by King Raedwald, an East Anglian king who converted to Christianity and later died around 627. He was also believed to be buried at Sutton Hoo.

According to excavation leader Christopher Scull from Cardiff University in Wales, the distinctive and substantial foundations indicate that one of the structures was unusually high and robustly constructed for its size, an indication that it was built for a special purpose. This is similar to most buildings elsewhere in England which are seen as temples or cult houses. From these findings, it was assumed that this building was used for pre-Christian worship by the early East Anglian kings.

The latest excavations also revealed evidence of fine metalworking associated with royal occupation. This includes a mold used for casting decorative horse harnesses which are similar to the one from the nearby royal burial site at Sutton Hoo. The excavation team also found other remains such as two graves of unknown date; evidence of activity from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman periods; and World War II searchlight emplacement.

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Anglian Royal Center

The archeological discoveries from the royal compound indicate that Rendlesham has been a favored location for human settlement and activity for 6,000 years, starting from 4,000 B.C. to the present day. The site was even identified as an East Anglian royal center by The Venerable Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

The compound is more than twice the size than had been previously thought. It is bounded by a perimeter ditch which measures 0.93 mile (1.5 kilometers) long and encloses an area that is equivalent to about 20 football pitches. The royal residence was also part of a larger settlement complex which covered 124 acres (50 hectares), a unique archeological feature of 5th to 8th century England in terms of scale and complexity.

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