Context (Field collection)
Excavated from Context 2069.
Event Date 19/2/2011
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Field collection)
In 2010-2011, the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) undertook excavations along Trumpington's riverside in advance of the construction of the Trumpington Meadows housing development by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. During the excavations an Early Anglo-Saxon settlement was found and, within the settlement, four burials. The burials were clustered together in a row, although radiocarbon dates indicate that they all may have been buried at different points in the seventh century. On Saturday, 19 February 2011 Grave 1 was excavated, which revealed a rare bed burial. It contained the remains of a girl, aged between 14 and 18 years, who was buried with a gold and garnet cross, linked gold and garnet pins, a chatelaine, a comb and a knife. She had been dressed in fine linen tabbies and a bead-edged shawl and was laid on a wood-framed bed, with a wool blanket covering a mattress. This grave is almost certainly the last burial of the four.
Event Date 19/2/2011
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Context (Found together / assemblage)
The teenage girl had been buried with the pectoral cross and the pins at the upper chest; the chatelaine lay between the upper legs but would have been suspended from the waist; the iron knife lay under the elbow of the left arm, but may also have been suspended from the waist; and an antler comb were found at the right side of the waist. An ash box or casket with a decorative hasp may also have been buried with her, above the left shoulder.
Event Date 19/2/2011
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Context (References)
Lucy, S. (2016). 'The Trumpington Cross in context'. Anglo-Saxon England, 45. pp. 7-37.
Event Date 2016
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Production / use)
This is the fifth known example of cloisonné pectoral crosses, the others being the Wilton, Ixworth, Holderness and Cutherbert Crosses. As Sam Lucy points out, however, unlike the other pectoral crosses of this type, 'the Trumpington Cross was not technically a pendant', as it has gold attachment loops on the back of each arm, 'but its location suggested that it had either been worn as a pendant (with a suspension cord that has not survived), or had possibly been sewn onto clothing or another item on the upper chest' (p. 9)
Event Date 2016
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Auction / Sale)
The cross and pins, together with the associated burial, were declared Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996. In December 2017 the landowners, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, waived their claim on the reward thereby donating the whole burial (2017.58-2017.74) to MAA.
Event Date 12/2017
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Context (References)
Evans, C., Lucy, S. and Patten, R. (2018). 'Anglo-Saxon Burials and Settlement'. In Riversides: Neolithic Barrows, a Beaker Grave, Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon Burials and Settlement at Trumpington, Cambridge. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. pp. 307-396. Figs. 5.5, 5.5.1, 5.13, 5.14
Event Date 2018
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Analysis)
Analysis of the girl's teeth suggest episodes of nutritional deficiency or childhood illness. In addition, lesions in the roofs of both eye sockets suggest that she suffered from iron deficiency, the result of a diet low in iron, parasitic infection, infectious disease or excessive blood loss (Evans, et al. p 311). Radiocarbon dating places this burial in the second half of the 7th century (666-710, 66.5% probability), and the last of the four burials found in the settlement. (Evans, et al. pp. 320-321).
Event Date 2018
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Description (Physical description)
Eight of the garnet settings had become detached prior to discovery and six were recovered, along with a gold foil backing. Subsequently a further garnet became detached from the around the central boss.
Event Date 27/2/2018
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Description (Physical description)
The Trumpington Cross. Gold and garnet cloisonné pectoral cross, with central roundel and flaring arms. The cloisonné work runs in bands around the edges of the arms and around the central garnet boss. The centre of each arm has seven gold stud and wire ring-and-dot decorative protrusions. The cross is constructed from a gold sheet back-plate, with gold attachment loops applied rather crudely to the reverse of each arm. Each of the garnet settings are backed with gold foil impressed with a fine waffle pattern. All of the garnets are flat-cut; the central garnet has a small chip at the edge.
Event Date 27/2/2018
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (References)
Vause, Rachel. (2021). 'Grasping the Cross: Transforming the Body and Mind in Early Medieval England' In Henvey, Megan et al (eds). Transmissions and Translations in Medieval Literary and Material Culture. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 29-50, Pl. 2.1
Event Date 2021
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (References)
Leggett, S., A. Rose, E. Praet, and P. Le Roux. (2021). ‘Multi-tissue and multi-isotope (d13C,d15N,d18O and87/86Sr) data for early medieval human and animal palaeoecology’. Ecology, 102(6).
Event Date 2021
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Context (References)
Brownlee, Emma. (2022). 'Bed Burials in Early Medieval Europe'. Medieval Archaeology, 66(1). pp. 1-29
Event Date 2022
Author: Imogen Gunn

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Conservation (Assessment Only)
CON.2022.5419 | Assessment Only
Event Date 9/8/2022
Author: Kirstie French

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Loan (Exhibition)
Laing Art Gallery, 17/09/2022 to 04/12/2022, The Lindisfarne Gospels [TBC]
Event Date 17/9/2022
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Exhibition (Li Ka Shing Gallery)
EXH.2023.12 | Beneath Our Feet: Archaeology of the Cambridge Region
Event Date 21/6/2023
Author: Imogen Gunn