Kings and kingdoms of England c AD 600

© The Trustees of the British Museum. [Enlarge image]

The earliest kings of England emphasised their power by displays of wealth. This continued after death with their richest possessions buried with them.

In the 5th century, during the chaos that followed the end of Roman power, new peoples arrived in Britain. They were Angles and Saxons from northern Germany and Denmark. They established kingdoms in eastern England, where names such as East Anglia, the South Saxons of Sussex and the East Saxons of Essex are preserved on modern maps.

Although the East Saxons were never a very rich or powerful people, their territory stretched far beyond the modern county of Essex to include Middlesex and the site of London. Later, Saxon London was called the East Saxons' 'metropolis'.

The excavation of the Taplow burial mound in 1883 uncovered one of the richest 7th century Anglo-Saxon chamber graves to be found in the country. Although a large and impressive assemblage of finds were recovered, the method of excavation of clearly quite primative and important detail was undoubtedly missed (British Museum). Drinking cup mounts (left) were found at both Taplow and Prittlewell.