Sutton Hoo helmet may actually come from Denmark, archaeologist suggests

A discovery by a metal detectorist in Denmark has raised questions about the origins of the iconic Sutton Hoo helmet, thought for decades to have links to Sweden.

The detectorist found a small metal stamp on an island in southern Denmark, with similar markings to those on the famous helmet.

Peter Pentz, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark, says the discovery raises the possibility the Sutton Hoo helmet may in fact have originated in the country.

The archaeologist told the BBC that if the helmet is indeed proved to have come from Denmark, it could change our understanding of the balance of power in 7th Century northern Europe.

Sutton Hoo is thought to be the burial site of King Raedwald, an East Anglian ruler who died in 624AD.

First excavated in 1939, more than 260 artefacts were uncovered at the Suffolk estate, including an iron and copper clad helmet, considered one of the period's greatest treasures. Other items, like a shield and drinking horns, also show a connection to Scandinavia.

The helmet, now housed in the British Museum, is decorated with various motifs, including two small panels depicting warriors on horseback.

It is believed to have been influenced by earlier Roman style and historians previously thought it may have come from Uppland, in eastern Sweden, as similar motifs depicting warriors on horseback have also been discovered on helmets there. Historians think it might have been an heirloom or diplomatic gift.

But researchers at the National Museum of Denmark now say the recently unearthed metal stamp bears a "striking similarity" to the helmet's motifs.

The green-tinged copper alloy stamp was found two years ago, by local archaeologist Jan Hjort. He says he was scouring a field with a metal detector on the Danish island of Taasinge, when he unearthed the metal object.

At first he thought it was a common "picture plate", but after closer examination, he realised it was something "extraordinary", he told the BBC.

"What is unique is the motif," he says. "It's a very powerful image."

"The stylistic similarities are so significant," Mr Pentz, the curator, says. "This is the closest link we've ever seen."

Similar motifs have also been found in Germany, but this is the first unearthed in Denmark.

Mr Hjort's find was handed to a local museum but it has only recently been studied.

The item measures just 5cm by 4cm (2in by 1.6in), and is now believed to be a stamp or "die", also known as a "patrice".

While the pattern is not identical to the Sutton Hoo helmet, after close study of the two fragmented helmet panels, Mr Pentz says there are "many similarities".

"If we focus on the horse itself, we see that it's the same horse," he says, pointing to its nose piece, mane, ear and tail.

He thinks the Sutton Hoo and Danish motifs are closer than their Swedish counterparts, suggesting the helmet may have actually originate from, or around, the Danish island.

The curator believes Taasinge may have been home to a 7th Century metal workshop - a thin sheet of silver, possibly used for producing foils, and other metal scraps has been found in the area.

"I would say this die comes from the same workshop, or comes from the environment of the Sutton Hoo helmet," Mr Pentz says. "Production probably took place here or trade."

The Anglo-Saxon ship burial site at Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, is widely considered to be England's "Valley of the Kings". Its 1939 discovery was recently dramatised in the 2021 Netflix film, The Dig.

"It really did revolutionize our understanding of the Anglo-Saxons," says Laura Howarth, an archaeology and engagement manager at Sutton Hoo, now a National Trust estate.

Anglo-Saxon refers to groups of people who came to England from Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Even 86 years later, there have been fresh digs at the site, and new theories emerging about the burials.

The Sutton Hoo helmet was painstakingly pieced back together over many years after it was first uncovered broken into hundreds of pieces. And is now on display at the British Museum. Ms Howarth calls the helmet the "face of the Anglo-Saxon period".

"It's the artistry and the craftsmanship behind the helmet," she says. The Danish discovery shows Sutton Hoo is "not a finished book", Ms Howarth adds.

"Looking at it, it's definitely part of this kind of family of designs that are happening at this time," she says, pointing out that there are other items with strong links to Sweden in the Sutton Hoo burial grave and a German motif also shares close similarities.

Mr Pentz believes the new find builds on to a theory that Denmark was more important during this era than previously thought, potentially placing Sweden and England on the periphery of a central Danish "power base".

However, the National Trust's Ms Howarth is more sceptical. "It's quite a lot to pinpoint exactly the relationship and the power dynamic that was existing between Denmark, Sweden and the community at Sutton Hoo at this time, just based off-one find," she says.

Mr Pentz says there are "some obstacles" to his theory. The Sutton Hoo helmet foils were fragmented into countless pieces and the Danish stamp is very worn.

As a next step he hopes there will be detailed 3D scanning of the motifs.

The find was also discovered in area that has seen little excavation work, and it's possible that the stamp may have been traded or transported from elsewhere.

It will go on display at the country's National Museum in Copenhagen in April.