
Early medieval art: c. 500-800 C.E.

Dr Rachel Moss explores the hidden meanings behind the illustrations of the Book of Kells.

The classical past continued to shape and influence readers throughout the Middle Ages.
The classical past

The idea of place in the early Middle Ages transcended space and time.
Mapping the world

Expressive, emotional, and energetic, the Utrecht Psalter is not what you expect in a book written 1200 years ago.
The Utrecht Psalter and its influence

One of the oldest surviving bibles was made in England but has clear visual ties to traditions from the ancient Mediterranean.
Codex Amiatinus, the oldest complete Latin Bible

Excavated in 1939, this 7th-century grave once held a hoard of metalwork, all buried within a 27-meter long ship!
Sutton Hoo Ship Burial

Rendered in gold and garnet, the enigmatic animals on this purse lid stand out above white bone.
The Sutton Hoo purse lid

Restored, dismantled, and restored again, this helmet was a pile of rusted iron and tinned bronze when first discovered.
The Sutton Hoo helmet

Masks and scrolls adorn the square head of this silver-gilt brooch. Extravagant but functional, it fastened clothes.
Brooch from Chessell Down

Stylistic analysis of these brooches and buckles might seem straightforward, but their designs riddle even experts.
Decoding Anglo-Saxon art

After crossing the Channel and invading Britain, the Anglo-Saxons ruled for 500 years. Rings offer clues to their society.
Anglo-Saxon England

1400 years ago, Anglo-Saxons hauled a ship up a hilltop and buried their king and his treasure within.
Sutton Hoo Ship Burial (video)

The “cross-carpet” pages of this early 8th-century manuscript weave together birds, knots, spirals—and the Cross.
The Lindisfarne Gospels

These ornate brooches were trendy accessories in the 5th and 6th centuries. Pin, body, and catch form a “crossbow.”