Sonja Marzinzik

Curator, Insular Early Medieval Collections

The Anglo-Saxon, Medieval Celtic and Viking Collections of the British Isles

Department: Prehistory and Europe

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8333
Email: smarzinzik @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Sonja Marzinzik is responsible for the early medieval collections of the British Isles. These comprise Anglo-Saxon, Medieval Celtic and Viking material of the fourth to eleventh centuries.

Her special expertise lies in the early Anglo-Saxon period and she has particular responsibility for the finds from Sutton Hoo and the collaboration with the National Trust Visitor Centre at the site http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits-w-findaplace/w-suttonhoo.htm

Her research interests lie in Anglo-Saxon metalwork, especially in silver wire inlay on iron objects, its relationship with continental inlay and with garnet cloisonné, which occurs in similar patterns. In connection with the recent discovery of a burial site at Ringlemere, Kent, she is carrying out research on the earliest Anglo-Saxons and the Germanic migration to England.

After studying the early middle ages of both the Continent and England at the universities of Munich, London and Oxford, she joined the Victoria and Albert Museum. Among other things, she was involved in the creation of a new gallery of European Silver from 1400-1800 and in the redisplay of the Medieval & Renaissance collections, while at the same time working as an archaeological freelancer.

Current British Museum projects

Acquisitions monitor 2007-2009

Previous British Museum projects

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External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies

UK delegate to the International Saxon Symposium (www.sachsensymposion.org); until 2011 member of its Coordinating Committee

Society for Medieval Archaeology (www.socmedarch.org)

Finds Research Group 700-1700 (www.frg700-1700.org.uk)

Publications

S. Marzinzik, The Sutton Hoo Helmet: Object in Focus (London 2007)

S. Marzinzik, 'From 'Miteinander' to 'Nebeneinander?' Thoughts on Anglo-Saxon and Continental belt fashions' in  Acts of the 56th Sachsensmposion Magdeburg 2005 (forthcoming)

S. Marzinzik, 'The wire-inlaid buckle and belt fitting' in S. Teague, Manor Farm, Monk Sherborne, Hampshire: Archaeological investigations in 1996, proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society, 60 (2005), pp. 121-4

S. Marzinzik, Early Anglo-Saxon Belt Buckles (late 5th to early 8th centuries A.D.): Their classification and context. BAR British Series 357 (Oxford, 2003)

S. Marzinzik, 'Grave goods in conversion period and later burials - A case of early medieval religious double standards?' in K. Pollmann (ed.), Double Standards in the Ancient and Mediaeval World. Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaften, Beihefte 1 (Göttingen 2000) pp. 149-166