Excavations prior to development of a housing estate at Soham in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, revealed remains of an Anglo-Saxon settlement and jewellery dated to the 6th century AD.

The findings from the 6th century village style settlement include jewellery such as fine brooches, multi-coloured glass and amber beads, rings, and hairpins. Other finds include tools, small knives, iron shield bosses, and spear heads. According to archaeologists some of the items were re-purposed, such as jewellery made from shield into a  Hippogriff decoration (half horse, half eagle). The site fell out of use in the 7th century but the experts found evidence for 8th century Middle Saxon activity in form of workshops and livestock pens.

Archaeologists also found complete pottery vessels, including a stunning rare glass beaker known as a claw beaker, possibly produced in northern France, the Netherlands and Germany. Moreover, excavations revealed some Roman treasures, pre-dating the Anglo-Saxon era, including plates and a complex of Late Iron Age and Roman ditches defining a field system and an early Roman Pottery Kiln.

(after Stephen Collins, David Johnson, Cambridge News & Heritage Daily)