Anglo-Saxon ship burial was likely the last of its kind
The Sutton Hoo hoard is truly remarkable from multiple perspectives but I&#x27;ll mention only one.  Some years ago when I first saw images of these truly remarkable artefacts in a doco, it occurred to me that it is the quintessential example from history to show that people of ancient times - the Anglo-Saxon era, Rome, Ancient Greece, etc. were every bit as sophisticated as we are today.<p>Yes, we&#x27;ve better technology and we&#x27;d like to think we&#x27;re a little less barbarous (although that&#x27;s disputable given WWI, WWII, etc.), but in reality there&#x27;s precious little difference in our basic behavior. Every generation likes to think it&#x27;s more sophisticated than the previous one but in reality that&#x27;s more arrogance brought about by a perception of modern life, technology and a mainly false hindsight of history, recent and long past, which makes us feel superior.<p>Sutton Hoo has the power to quickly bring us down to earth and make us feel a little humble. Any civilisation that can craft such a remarkable and truly beautifully made object as this shoulder clasp from the hoard is truly sophisticated - no doubt about it whatsoever:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Sutton_Hoo#&#x2F;media&#x2F;File:Sutton.Hoo.ShoulderClasp2.RobRoy.jpg" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Sutton_Hoo#&#x2F;media&#x2F;File:Sut...</a><p><i>(As has been pointed out by modern craftsmen and goldsmiths, making this object today would require a tour de force&#x2F;quite exceptional skills even by today&#x27;s standards.  The fact is we&#x27;re still unsure how these remarkable craftsmen made such an intricate work of art.)</i>