Based on the passage below, place the recorded milestones of Basil Brown's archaeological work at Sutton Hoo in the exact chronological order in which they occurred.
In May 1938, self-taught archaeologist Basil Brown arrived at the Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk, England, commissioned by landowner Edith Pretty to investigate several mysterious earth mounds on her property. Brown initially focused his efforts on Mound 3, where he excavated damaged grave goods including an axe head and textile fragments. Satisfied with his preliminary survey there, he moved to Mound 2 in July 1938, where his trench work revealed scattered iron ship rivets and fragmented human remains, confirming the presence of disturbed early Anglo-Saxon burials.
Recognizing the potential significance of the site, formal support was arranged for a second digging season. On May 11, 1939, Brown returned to begin excavating the untried Mound 1. Within hours of opening the trench, he uncovered a row of corroded iron ship rivets still set in their original positions within the soil matrix. Realizing that the mound concealed an intact ship burial of exceptional size, Brown proceeded with meticulous care. By June 14, 1939, his careful removal of sand and earth fully exposed the eighty-nine-foot impression of a seventh-century wooden vessel, establishing Sutton Hoo as one of the most remarkable medieval archaeological discoveries in Europe.
- 1Excavating grave goods such as an axe head from Mound 3
- 2Uncovering iron ship rivets and human remains in Mound 2
- 3Unearthing the first corroded iron rivets in Mound 1
- 4Exposing the full 89-foot vessel impression in Mound 1