Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.

Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable

themes that let you build your brand, marketing tools that get your products out there.

Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time. From startups to scaleups, online,

in person and on the go. Shopify is made for

entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.

Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC

History magazine.

The Sutton Who ship burial is one of the most famous discoveries in British archaeological

history. But who is actually buried there? Or perhaps a better question might be, why was the man buried with such a wealth of exotic goods?

Well, Dr Helen Gittos has a fascinating new theory that may alter our understanding of this major archaeological find.

David Musgrove spoke to her to find out more.

Today I am joined by Helen Gittos, who's written a really interesting article entitled

Sutton Hu and Syria, the Anglo-Saxons, who served in the Byzantine army, question mark,

and it's being published in the English Historical Review. It's a really interesting

take on a really interesting bit of history, Helen, so thank you so much for joining us. How are you

today? I'm very well. Thank you. Exciting to be able to talk about this. Yeah, no, it's such a

good article. So let's just get straight into it. So the point of the article, as I understand it,

and you can correct me if I've misunderstood any of it, but the person buried in the fabulous and famous ship burial at Sutton Who in the 6th or 7th centuries AD might have fought as a mounted mercenary for the Byzantine army in Syria. Is that what you're saying?

Gosh, it's quite a shocking thing to say, isn't it?

When you hear it said back to you like that, yes, I think that is what I'm suggesting

is possible. It feels a very different way of thinking about that burial.

...