Pilgrim Badge Artefact?

[simoncooper99]

I am an amateur archaeologist working in Sussex, UK. (+ completed the camino frances in June 23). Today, we found this item probably made of lead, which reminded me of the pilgrims scallop shell emblem. I thought I would post here as members may have seen or found something similar. Or may be it is something completely different!

Thanks and Buen camino.

 

[Tincatinker]

Plenty of pilgrims from Sussex Simon. At least one ships captain venturing out of Shoreham.

Where did you dig that up? Exact location not required but the tradition of a pilgrim being buried with their shell has been exhibited from recent digs in London and along the HS2 route ( the most heavily sponsored dig in history).

A lead cast is a bit out of character but not incredible. Any strata date?

 

[simoncooper99]

Plenty of pilgrims from Sussex Simon. At least one ships captain venturing out of Shoreham.

Where did you dig that up? Exact location not required but the tradition of a pilgrim being buried with their shell has been exhibited from recent digs in London and along the HS2 route ( the most heavily sponsored dig in history).

A lead cast is a bit out of character but not incredible. Any strata date?

On the Downs near Brighton. It was at a depth which included romano-british and iron age pottery but could have been later due to ploughing etc. It was the shape though that made me think of the camino and pilgrim tokens. Interesting you mentioned Shoreham - did pilgrims then sail to Ferrol?

 

[AJS49]

Hmm... interesting... myself and partner who was previously a manager in the UK youth hostel association, were able to stop in various hostels free of charge. One of which was Wymering Manor in Southampton, a decaying manor house, with a very long history, and as an aside, was once regarded as one of the most haunted houses in the UK. We stopped there a few times on route to the channel ferry... once entirely on our own, which was not entirely pleasant!
That aside, it was a seriously odd place.
With reference to the o.p, on one visit , plumbers had found a store of pewter tokens under floorboards which were apparently awards given to people who had completed pilgrimages. The doubly interesting thing was, although they were indeed very old, they were very old knock offs, which dishonest individuals could purchase for a sum, presumably to impress others, Iirc, they were around 4" tall, on flattened pewter, with embossed features. Funny old place ..

 

[AJS49]

Hmm... interesting... myself and partner who was previously a manager in the UK youth hostel association, were able to stop in various hostels free of charge. One of which was Wymering Manor in Southampton, a decaying manor house, with a very long history, and as an aside, was once regarded as one of the most haunted houses in the UK. We stopped there a few times on route to the channel ferry... once entirely on our own, which was not entirely pleasant!
That aside, it was a seriously odd place.
With reference to the o.p, on one visit , plumbers had found a store of pewter tokens under floorboards which were apparently awards given to people who had completed pilgrimages. The doubly interesting thing was, although they were indeed very old, they were very old knock offs, which dishonest individuals could purchase for a sum, presumably to impress others, Iirc, they were around 4" tall, on flattened pewter, with embossed features. Funny old place ..

Correction...Portsmouth.

 

[Tincatinker]

On the Downs near Brighton. It was at a depth which included romano-british and iron age pottery but could have been later due to ploughing etc. It was the shape though that made me think of the camino and pilgrim tokens. Interesting you mentioned Shoreham - did pilgrims then sail to Ferrol?

Yes, the usual route was to Ferrol or A Coruna, sometimes Ribadesella or even Santander and Bilbao. Pilgrim dedicated trips usually to the western ports, Bilbao and Santander if pilgrims were incidental to cargo.
“Jacobean Pilgrims from England to St James of Compostela” Constance Mary Storrs, published by the Confraternity of St James 1998, might be of interest. If unavailable I can lend you my copy

Edit: I think it unlikely that that cast is linked to the Jacobean pilgrimage. Until the modern revival a pilgrim returned with a shell, an actual “conche” not a representation of one.

A great find nonetheless

 

[simoncooper99]

Yes, the usual route was to Ferrol or A Coruna, sometimes Ribadesella or even Santander and Bilbao. Pilgrim dedicated trips usually to the western ports, Bilbao and Santander if pilgrims were incidental to cargo.
“Jacobean Pilgrims from England to St James of Compostela” Constance Mary Storrs, published by the Confraternity of St James 1998, might be of interest. If unavailable I can lend you my copy

Edit: I think it unlikely that that cast is linked to the Jacobean pilgrimage. Until the modern revival a pilgrim returned with a shell, an actual “conche” not a representation of one.

A great find nonetheless

Thanks - it will be interesting to find out what it actual is. Will post if I find out.

 

[dick bird]

Thanks - it will be interesting to find out what it actual is. Will post if I find out.

You could try asking a professional archaeologist

 

[David]

Ah, I am a detectorist like you. I cannot see the detail on it - your find needs cleaning, at least a soft wash - but medieval Santiago pilgrim souvenirs have the scallop shell motif.
If concave on the other side it may be a medieval lead palm guard.

Towards the end of the Catholic period (in Britain) there were many shrines and pilgrimages and each had their own motif.
Although pilgrims did ship direct to Spain many (especially poorer ones) shipped direct to northern France and walked from there, also meant they could visit Canterbury on the way.

- par ex: here is a medieval ampulla.

 

[MikeyC]

The British Museum has hundreds of pilgrims badges, many have images which can be viewed doing searches on the Collection page.
Such badges are typically medieval and made of tin/lead alloys.
They are often found by mudlarkers searching the banks of the River Thames at low tide.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

It's not unusual to find pilgrim scallops in the UK - the church of St James the Greater near me is awash with them and even the modern glass doors to Rochester cathedral have them etched in.

Somewhere I've a picture of a real scallop shell from the 1300s dug up in central London - it even has the two holes pierced to take a neck cord.

This, however, is a modern reproduction of a 12th century pewter badge which was also dug up in London. The original is, I understand, in the Museum of London (Archaeology):


in real life it's about the size of a £2 coin.

 

[MikeyC]

This article refers to a 12th century burial in Winchester. Scroll down for a view of the grave showing remains and a scallop shell.

Investigation of a Medieval Pilgrim Burial Excavated from the Leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen Winchester, UK

We have examined the remains of a Pilgrim burial from St Mary Magdalen, Winchester. The individual was a young adult male, aged around 18–25 years at the time of death. Radiocarbon dating showed the remains dated to the late 11[th] –early ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[SueH]

The article cites another paper stating that there were between 500,000 and 2,000,000 pilgrims per year in the 11th and 12th century. Wow! I imagine that they did not all have individual rooms and beds as we think are so necessary today.

 

[henrythedog]

The article cites another paper stating that there were between 500,000 and 2,000,000 pilgrims per year in the 11th and 12th century. Wow! I imagine that they did not all have individual rooms and beds as we think are so necessary today.

They would be more like our very own @JabbaPapa - a big cape and resilient attitude.

 

[Bradypus]

The article cites another paper stating that there were between 500,000 and 2,000,000 pilgrims per year in the 11th and 12th century. Wow! I imagine that they did not all have individual rooms and beds as we think are so necessary today.

Re-reading my diary from my first Camino I was reminded that many places along the Frances had no private rooms available then. Often only the pilgrim refugios. And a few of those only offered a bare floor where you could lay out a sleeping bag and mat. The refugio in O Cebreiro was one of the stone and thatch pallozas where pilgrims slept on straw and the place was lit by candles - a dodgy combination! Staying in private rooms all the way would have required a private support vehicle to drive you some distance off the Camino in many places. This is not ancient history: well within living memory for some of us. And a few of us still find a similar experience on the roads less travelled.

 

[dick bird]

Sussex University has a highly regarded history department. I am sure somebody there would be able to identify it for you. I suspect they would also be very interested in the site where you found this artefact.