Approximately 1400 years ago near the Roman fort at Vindolanda in Northumberland in northern England, near Hadrian's Wall, someone etched images into virtually every square inch of a lead chalice with depictions of crosses of various types, whale & fish, angels and other Christian symbols representing different forms of Christian iconography from the time. Now 14 fragments from that chalice has been excavated from the site of what was thought could be the ruins of a 6th cent. Christian church.
The discovery of these extremely battered fragments is important for several reasons.
There is nothing in north-western Europe that comes close to the combination of so many of these etchings from the period to this discovery. The nature of the images will likely force researchers to look at similar "graffiti" at early Christian sites in a different light.
Further, it is the only surviving partial chalice from this period in Britain and the first such artifact to come from a fort on Hadrian’s Wall.
Also, the presence of the chalice confirms that the site, which was inside the fort itself, was indeed that of a church making it the first suspected church site to be verified in this region from this period.
Various News Articles:
The discovery of these extremely battered fragments is important for several reasons.
There is nothing in north-western Europe that comes close to the combination of so many of these etchings from the period to this discovery. The nature of the images will likely force researchers to look at similar "graffiti" at early Christian sites in a different light.
Further, it is the only surviving partial chalice from this period in Britain and the first such artifact to come from a fort on Hadrian’s Wall.
Also, the presence of the chalice confirms that the site, which was inside the fort itself, was indeed that of a church making it the first suspected church site to be verified in this region from this period.
Various News Articles:
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