Final answer:
Precious objects from pre-Christian England like those at Sutton Hoo were symbols of status and had ritual significance. Post-Christianization, burial practices changed to reflect new religious beliefs. These grave goods provide insight into societal structure, religious practices, and material culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most of the precious objects that survive from pre-Christian England, such as the artifacts discovered at the Sutton Hoo ship burial, primarily functioned as status symbols and had ritual significance. Such items were used both in life and in death to display wealth and establish social status. Moreover, intricate objects like the purse lid from Sutton Hoo signify the importance of public display of wealth in early Anglo-Saxon society. Upon Christianisation, practices changed with churches replacing temples and simpler burials becoming the norm, as seen with artifacts like the iron cross of Bishop Timotheos.
Even in death, the objects buried with individuals, termed "grave goods," reflected their social standing and spiritual beliefs, as demonstrated across various cultures, like the Moche Royal Tombs in Peru, which contained gold and turquoise jewelry indicative of high-status burials from 300-700 BCE.
These grave goods had cultural significance and often carried symbolism about the individual's role in society or their journey in the afterlife. They highlight the interconnectedness of spiritual practices, social structure, and material culture in human societies. The tradition of including grave goods in burials provides not only art historical insight but also information about the daily life, religious beliefs, and social hierarchy of the people and societies that produced them.