Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1953.187 reads: 'Contents of grave 9. Three single edged knives. Iron implement or support of bucket. Parts of iron handle of wooden bucket. Part of iron ring and a whole iron ring with bronze wire ring and thin bronze plate attached (possibly for attaching a bone comb). Three thin bronze plates (various purposes). Belt plate of small buckle with ring and dot, ornament; bronze ring 1 inch diameter showing much wear; heavy bronze ring with thin bronze plate loop attached; bronze wire ring with small bronze plate attached; string of beads 11 glass of various shapes and colours and 2 large amethyst beads; parts of a large two edged bone comb, a fragment of iron nail (?). Also 2 sherds, a horse' s tooth and a burnt fragment of stone. Also bronze binding containing ? wood (unidentifiable) bronze pin, hasp, pair of " boot tags".'

Event Date
Author: Lily Stancliffe

Context (Field collection)
Grave 9.
The initial excavation of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery was carried out in the early months of 1952 by the Cambridge Archaeological Field Club under the direction of the Hon. R.W.H. Erskine and D.M. Wilson. Its discovery was reported by Mr G.O. Vinter, MA, in the autumn of 1951.


Event Date 1952
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
String of beads 11 glass of various shapes and colours and 2 large amethyst beads.
Event Date 1952
Author: maa

Context (References)
Wilson, D.M. (1956). The Initial Excavations of an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Vol XLIX. pp. 32-33, Pl. V
Event Date 1956
Author: Eleanor Wilkinson

Description (Physical description)
D.M. Wilson: 'One oval sectioned annular bead of blue paste with a white spiral starting at the perforation and working outwards. Two small biconic blue glass beads. One cylindrical red bead. One paste bead with a marbled effect in green, red, yellow, blue and brown. One dark glass bead, on the sides are inset rough circles of twisted glass made up of green and cream strands. One chamfered conic disk. One bone chamfered conic disk. Two perfectly matched amethyst drop beads, one of which had been chipped in antiquity.'
Event Date 1956
Author: Imogen Gunn

Context (Analysis)
Undergraduate artefact project, 2004, study of beads.
Event Date 2004
Author: Imogen Gunn

Context (References)
Brugmann, Birte. (2004). Glass beads from Early Anglo-Saxon Graves. Oxford: Oxbow Books
Event Date 2004
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
String of 13 beads. Eight short cylindrical beads in blue, green, red and white. Two large polychrome barrel beads. One disc bead of spiralled blue and white glass. Two large, faceted, drop shaped amethyst beads, one chipped.
Event Date 16/7/2024
Author: Lily Stancliffe