For archaeologist Rachel Wood, it was a "once in a lifetime discovery". 

For weeks, historians in Wendover, Buckinghamshire had been digging at the site of a new high speed railway lineThis is not the first discovery on the new HS2 route. More than 1,000 archaeologists have worked at 60 sites between London and the West Midlands. . Now, they were pulling dozens of ancient brooches, spears and beads from the mud. They could hardly believe what they were seeing.

Slowly, the magnitude of their discovery dawned on them. This was the largest Anglo-Saxon burial ground ever uncovered in Britain. By the end of the dig, archaeologists had recovered an astonishing 2,000 beads, 89 brooches, 15 spears, seven shield bosses, two wine beakers imported from Europe and even a container for eyeliner. 

"We had one individual buried with a sword - that's the equivalent of being buried with a very expensive car these days." 

For neo-Saxons, a group of people who believe that the Anglo-Saxon way of life should be revived, the discovery is yet another incredible moment in an already extraordinary year. Last month, after a two-year delay caused by Covid-19, two of England's greatest Anglo-Saxon hoards were united at Sutton HooThe remains of a ship containing magnificent treasure, including a royal sceptre, was discovered here in 1939. It is thought to have been a memorial to an Anglo-Saxon king. in Suffolk. 

The Staffordshire hoard, which was also first made thousands of years ago in workshops at Sutton Hoo, was found by chance by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in 2009. 

Terry had been looking for buried treasure for 18 years, and failed to find any. But one July day, he had a stroke of luck at a friend's farm in the West Midlands. 

"Don't be so daft," said farmer Fred Johnson when Terry informed him of the find. But Terry was right. He had unearthed over 600 objects, including decorated helmets, gold crosses and sword pommelsThe blunt end of a sword. inlaid with garnetsA red-coloured, precious stone.. It was valued at £3.28m. 

The Anglo-Saxons were made up of three tribes - the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes - who originated in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands and invaded Britain in around AD450, after the Romans had left.

They divided the country into seven kingdoms - East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, Sussex and Wessex. Though pagansNon-Christians who incorporate beliefs or practices from outside the main world religions, and especially nature worship. to begin with, they gradually converted to Christianity. They lost part of their territory to the Vikings, and were finally defeated by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The 2,000 or so neo-Saxons are based mainly in what used to be Wessex, around Stonehenge and Glastonbury. Many are pagans, and some use the Anglo-Saxon language. They believe in the equality of women, being at one with nature and making as little use of modern technology as possible.

To them, Anglo-Saxon society was a model of sustainability in which nothing went to waste. Its members were farmers as well as warriors and artists. They made their own clothes out of natural materials, such as wool and linen, and their lamps were fuelled by animal fat.

"Traditionally, this period has been discussed as a dark age," summarises historian Dan SnowA historian and television presenter. Finds from the burial site were filmed for Snow's streaming show History Hit.. Now, the discovery of the Wendover burial ground could dispel the theory that Anglo-Saxons led crude and unsophisticated lives once and for all.

Yes: We have a lot to learn from the Anglo-Saxons. They were artistic, eco-conscious and loyal. It is time to forget the trappings of the modern world and embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.

No: This is a ridiculous idea. The Anglo-Saxons led incredibly violent lives, with blood feuds and constant fighting. The story of history is a story of progress - it is best to stay in the present.

Or... There is no need to go back in time. But by borrowing ideas from previous eras, from the artistry of the Saxons to the cultural movements of the Renaissance, we can improve our lives today.