Archaeologia Baltica

The excavation of a princely grave of the early seventh century at Prittlewell, Essex, in 2003, is the starting point for a review of the development of kingship in early Anglo-Saxon England. Emphasis is placed upon the equally important contributions of history and archaeology. It is also argued that it is essential to balance the attention given to the immediate contexts in England with the long-term development of kingship amongst the Germanic peoples. Valuable supplementary evidence is found in the terminology of kingship and lordship in Germanic philology, as well as the comparative study of Continental Fürstengräber of the Roman Iron Age.