ANGLO-Saxon Cross, Ixworth, England - pendant, gold

The Anglo-Saxon cross dates from the 7th century and was probably made at the same time as the famous Sutton Hoo jewels.

The Ixworth Cross once belonged to a prominent figure in Anglo-Saxon society. The cross pendant was made of pure gold and was originally entirely covered with garnets backed with a hatched foil.

The pendant was found in 1856 at Ixworth, Suffolk, three miles south of Cambridge in a field burial ground. It was located next to two other graves with female graves of the same age, near the settlement, which consisted of a 12-metre-long wooden hall and at least half a dozen other buildings with extensive semi-subterranean cellars.

The buried was only 16 years old and probably belonged to one of the newly Christianized Anglo-Saxon royal families of the time. In addition to the pendant of a precious cross, the grave also contained a disc brooch set with precious stones. The girl was fully dressed, with bronze and iron belt hooks and a purse on a leather belt.

The Ixworth cross is now owned by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

• Material: bronze, cast glass
• Dimensions: 4,5 x 3,9 cm