Hadrian’s Wall dig reveals oldest Christian graffiti on chalice

A 5th-century chalice covered in religious iconography has been discovered in Northumberland, to the astonishment of archaeologists, who describe it as Britain’s first known example of Christian graffiti on an object. With its complex mass of crosses and chi-rhos, angels and a priestly figure, as well as fish, a whale and ships, it is believed to be without parallel in western Europe.

Made of lead and now in 14 fragments, it was unearthed at the Vindolanda Roman fort, one of Europe’s foremost archaeological sites, near Hadrian’s Wall, during an excavation that has also discovered the foundations of a significant church of the 5th or 6th century.

Dr Andrew Birley, director of Vindolanda excavations, told the Observer that finding church foundations inside the Roman stone fort was significant enough, but that uncovering a vessel “smothered both inside and out with Christian iconography is quite incredible”.

He said: “You’ve got crosses, a whale, fish, ships with lovely rigging and little flags, little angels, a priestly figure seemingly holding a crook with a big smiley face, ears of wheat.

“It’s just remarkable. Nothing in north-western Europe comes close from the period.”

The first fragment was found by Lesley Walker, an Australian care worker who joined the Vindolanda excavations as a volunteer last year. “I was amazed that I had found something as important as this on my very first excavation,” she said. “The whole experience at Vindolanda makes me want to come back and learn more.”

Dr David Petts, a Durham University specialist on the post-Roman period and early Christianity, is now researching the chalice. He said: “It is genuinely exciting. When we think of graffiti, we tend to think it’s unauthorised vandalism. But we know from many medieval churches, that people would put marks and symbols on buildings. What is unique about this is finding them on a vessel.”

Each fragment of a chalice, once the size of a modern cereal bowl, bears lightly etched images. If it was a ceremonial artefact, passed around the congregation, its symbols convey meanings that have yet to be unlocked. Letters in Latin, Greek and possibly Ogam, an early medieval script, are yet to be deciphered.

Vindolanda was built by the Roman army before Hadrian began constructing his 73-mile defensive barrier to guard the north-western frontier from invaders in AD122. It was an important garrison base, demolished and rebuilt repeatedly. It was there that archaeologists unearthed a cavalry barracks, finding extraordinary military and personal possessions left behind by soldiers, including the famous writing tablets, offering insights into their everyday lives, and rare cavalry swords.

Birley said: “The discovery [of the chalice] helps us appreciate how the site and its community survived beyond the fall of Rome and yet remained connected to a spiritual successor in the form of Christianity.”

The foundations suggest that the church was large enough for about 60 parishioners. The structure somehow collapsed in on itself, but the chalice had been securely sealed under the rubble, perhaps in a ceremony marking the end of the church.

Birley said: “Being able to prove you’ve got a church of the 5th or 6th century is hard unless you find associated material within it. What’s really important about this chalice is that it is a definite Christian artefact. It helps us to re-evaluate the other similar buildings on Hadrian’s Wall of the same period, which have similar features but don’t have artefacts preserved.”

The chalice will be unveiled this week at Vindolanda’s museum, in a new exhibition that highlights Christianity and the site’s last periods of occupation, and is supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.