The Bayeux Tapestry is a nearly 70-meter-long embroidered cloth that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, including the Battle of Hastings. It was likely made in England in the 11th century and tells the story from the Normans’ perspective.
Bosham, a coastal town in West Sussex, is featured twice in the Bayeux Tapestry. It shows Harold enjoying a feast in a grand hall before his journey to France and upon his return. The tapestry famously narrates the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, culminating in William, Duke of Normandy’s victory at Hastings.
Archaeologists have found evidence that a house in England is the site of a lost residence of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
The team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter reinterpreted old excavations and conducted new surveys to locate a power center belonging to Harold Godwinson, who died in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Indeed, the exact location of Harold’s residence in Bosham has never been confirmed. However, a current private home in the village may stand on the original site of his residence.
The archaeologists used various methods to investigate the property’s history, including geophysical surveys, assessments of remains, map and record reviews, and re-examining evidence from a 2006 excavation.
They discovered two previously unidentified Medieval buildings: one integrated into the current house and another in the garden.
Evidence from the 2006 excavation found a latrine in a large timber building, indicating it was an elite residence, as high-status houses in the 10th century included toilets. This suggests it was part of Harold’s residence shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. The hall was part of a larger complex, including a church that still exists.
Dr. Duncan Wright, who led the research, said the 2006 excavation’s discovery of an Anglo-Saxon en-suite confirmed that the house was an elite residence before the Norman Conquest, likely Harold Godwinson’s power center depicted in the tapestry.
Professor Oliver Creighton of the University of Exeter, and Co-Investigator of the project, added: “The Norman Conquest saw a new ruling class supplant an English aristocracy that has left little in the way of physical remains, which makes the discovery at Bosham hugely significant — we have found an Anglo-Saxon show-home.”
Journal Reference:
- David Gould, Oliver Creighton, Scott Chaussée, Michael Shapland and Duncan W Wright. Where Power Lies: Lordly Power Centres in the English Landscape c. 800–1200. The Antiquaries Journal. DOI: 10.1017/S0003581524000350
Source: Tech Explorist
