Medieval Selfies?
The Norfolk graffiti survey is the gift that keeps on giving!
A survey of graffiti in churches in Norfolk has uncovered hundreds of "medieval selfies", hidden for centuries under limewash. They were found by volunteers with the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey.
Project archaeologist Matt Champion said what made the images special was they were of "medieval commoners" who lived their lives "leaving barely a mark on history".
Some of the images are related to devotion with hands raised in prayer, but others appear to be caricatures of real people.
Mr Champion said "faces and human figures are amongst some of the most common finds in medieval English church graffiti", but for him they were "really magical images".
"You can be shining your light across the surface... all of a sudden the wall is staring right back at you," he said.
"When you find yourself face to face with a representation of a real person, a long-dead parishioner or parish priest, the hairs do go up on the back of your neck."
See them at the source!
A survey of graffiti in churches in Norfolk has uncovered hundreds of "medieval selfies", hidden for centuries under limewash. They were found by volunteers with the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey.
Project archaeologist Matt Champion said what made the images special was they were of "medieval commoners" who lived their lives "leaving barely a mark on history".
Some of the images are related to devotion with hands raised in prayer, but others appear to be caricatures of real people.
Mr Champion said "faces and human figures are amongst some of the most common finds in medieval English church graffiti", but for him they were "really magical images".
"You can be shining your light across the surface... all of a sudden the wall is staring right back at you," he said.
"When you find yourself face to face with a representation of a real person, a long-dead parishioner or parish priest, the hairs do go up on the back of your neck."
See them at the source!