True stories fascinate us because they lead us into our own possibilities.  In a novel, we are intrigued by the mind of the author. Why these characters? Was the plot based on history? Yes.

John Preston penned a story about the unearthing of the Sutton Hoo treasures.  Near the end of the second world war, a dig occured in Suffolk, England. The site of two medieval cemeteries, the Sutton Hoo is where the plot of “The Dig” begins.  The prime real character is Edith Pretty, a lady with declining health. Edith is in her late 50s, and she is the wealthy widow and owner of the Sutton Hoo estate. Her long-held curiosity instigated the first excavations of the Royal Burial Ground. Born into a wealthy family, Edith spent her youth touring the world and witnessed several excavations, which gave her a life-long interest in archaeology and history.

Basil Brown is a self-taught archaeologist, born and bred in Suffolk. His father was a farmer, and Basil Brown acquired a great deal of knowledge of the soils and geology of East Anglia whilst working with his dad. This served him well when he started work as an archaeological contractor for Ipswich Museum in 1935. Through his connections with Ipswich Museum that Basil Brown came to Sutton Hoo in 1938 to begin the excavation. Edith’s grief over her husband’s death, led her to focus on solving the mystery of the 18 large and clearly man-made mounds of earth on her estate.

Edith trusted Brown, a local amateur archeologist, to start digging in 1937. As Brown’s findings were  hugely historically significant, the British government took over, sending in teams of professionals to continue the dig. In 1939 all of the priceless artifacts found on her land were rightfully her property. She immediately chose to donate everything to the British Museum.

As a reward for her status as one of the museum’s most generous donors of all time, as PM Winston Churchill offered her the prestigious CBE honor, but she graciously declined. The character of Edith is compelling, but diving into the life she really lived is extraordinary.  Well traveled and highly educated, Edith’s generosity throughout her life is worthy of note.