Two gold foil crosses

Gold foil crosses. [Enlarge crosses]

Two tiny Latin crosses (length c 30mm) with rounded terminals to the shorter arms and scored marks on the flatter example showing where the foil was to be cut to shape. These are the first such gold crosses to be found in England.

The tradition of using gold foil crosses in graves originated in Lombardic Italy, but they were equally popular in Alamannia (more or less modern Bavaria). The fashion lasted from the late 6th to early 8th centuries but was at its peak between c.570-650 and may symbolise allegiance to the church of Rome.

Such crosses were probably custom-made for the burial ceremony; most have perforations that would enable them to be sewn onto the clothing, but here they are quite plain and must have simply been laid on the body after it had been placed in the grave.