This document presents archaeological evidence of powerful Anglo-Saxon women from the 6th-8th centuries AD, including abbesses and princesses, seen through artefacts like crosses, necklaces, and embroidered garments. It discusses women who ruled religious houses and territories, mentions Queen Balthild of France who ruled after her husband's death, and considers whether the archaeological evidence truly distinguishes between royal and religious women of this time period.

1. Powerful Anglo-Saxon Women
seen through their artefacts:
abbesses, princesses, both or neither?

2. The Trumpington Cross (CAM-A04EF7)
CAM-A04EF7

3. Cover up
Cover up
Cover up and cover some more
Not to scale
Cover up and cover some more
(all to approximately the same scale)up

4. St Cuthbert’s cross (Durham Cathedral)

5. The Wilton cross, set with a coin of Heraclius (reigned
610-641 AD) (British Museum 1859,0512.1 )

6. The Ixworth Cross (Ashmolean Museum AN1909.453)

7. The Desborough necklace
(British Museum, 1876,0504.1)

8. The Thurnham Cross
…where is it now?

10. The Newball Cross
(LIN-75FD54)

11. Westfield Farm, Ely
(Lucy et al 2009; CAMHER-9C4BA8)

12. Two pendants from a woman’s
grave at Winfarthing, Norfolk
(PAS no. NMS-E95041; Norwich
Castle Museum)

13. Two sides of a coin of Sigebert III, ruled in Austrasia (part of Francia) 634-656 AD

14. Cover up
Cover upCover up and cover some more
Not to scale
Cover up and cover some more

15. Rich male burials of the late
6th and early 7th century
Prittlewell
Taplow
Sutton Hoo

16. St Augustine Gospels (Corpus Christi College Cambridge, MS 286)

17. The Ecclesiastical History of
the English People, finished
by Bede in 731 AD
(Cotton Tiberius C.ii,
copied late 8th century)

18. The Ecclesiastical History of
the English People, finished
by Bede in 731 AD
Mentioning 36
monasteries, including:
• Lindisfarne (of course!)
• Whitby
• Ripon
• Jarrow
• Monkwearmouth
• Lindisfarne
• Tynemouth
• Hartlepool
• Beverley
• Lichfield
• Ely
• Peterborough
• Malmesbury
• Barking
• Canterbury

19. Castor
Ely
Whitby
Thanet
Barking
Aethelthryth at Ely
Hilda at Whitby
Mildrith at Thanet
Aethelburh at Barking
Cyneburh at Castor
Ebba of Coldingham
Hildilith of Barking
Seaxburh of Ely
Frigyth of Hackness
Heiu of Hartlepool
Heriburg of Watton (E. Yorks)
Coldingham
Some of Bede’s abbesses:

20. Gold seal matrix inscribed BALDEhILDIS, probably of
Queen Balthilde of France (d. 680 AD)
(Norwich Castle Museum NWHCM : 2000.42)

21. Frankish kings are not easy to remember as there are
so many of them. These two were brothers, and
ruled different parts of France:
Clovis II ruled Neustria and
Burgundy (parts of Francia) from
634 to 657. He married Baldehildis
and they had three children. After
his death in 657, Baldehildis ruled
France as Queen Balthild.
Sigebert III ruled Austrasia (another
part of Francia) from 634 to 656. He
issued the coins that were made
into pendants and worn on the
necklace found at Winfarthing.

22. The ‘Chemise of St
Balthild’, dating to
the 7th century AD
made from linen, with four
colours of silk embroidery
imitating jewellery

23. The ‘Chemise of St
Balthild’, dating to
the 7th century AD
made from linen, with four
colours of silk embroidery
imitating jewellery
The Thurnham cross

25. Cover up
Cover upCover up and cover some more
Not to scale
Cover up and cover some more

26. Cross of gold and
garnets, found in
St Cuthbert’s
coffin in 1827

27. • Who were these women?
• How much difference did religion, and the renunciation of
worldly things, really make to an aristocratic woman?
• Is there a real difference between the archaeological
evidence for a princess and the archaeological evidence for
an abbess?
• And would these questions have made any sense to the real
Anglo-Saxon women who owned these crosses and
pendants?