Two rough plank chests stacked corner-on-corner — Anglo-Saxon barracks storage in its working state. Period: Early Middle Ages, c. 600-900 CE.
Anglo-Saxon barracks held the household troop's spare kit — a second tunic, leg-wraps, a mail shirt rolled in oiled cloth, perhaps a helmet — in plank chests built by the same joiners who put up the hall. Iron strap-bands were common but expensive; many chests made do with rope wraps or simple hide straps. This piece fuses two such chests into one stack, ready as floor clutter or wall storage.
Painting tips
- Wood: warm oak, drybrush highlights on plank edges.
- Iron bands (if present): dark steel, light rust at corners.
- Rope/strap: tan with a sepia wash.
Historical sources & further reading
- West Stow finds
- Anglo-Saxon ship-burial inventory parallels (Sutton Hoo)
⚠ Small parts. Not suitable for children under 14.
