Medieval Abbot's Grave Uncovered

New Liturgical Movement ^ | April 19, 2012 | SHAWN TRIBE

[NYer]

Extraordinary discovery of 12th century abbot's grave

For something like seven centuries he had lain undisturbed.

He – or at least his remains – survived Henry VIII’s destruction of his abbey in 1537, eluded the grave-robbers that followed, and avoided discovery by Victorian archaeologists.

Even deep excavations and the underpinning of the crumbling building in the 1930s failed to unearth him.

But the abbot who headed Britain’s second richest and most powerful Cistercian monastery may soon be unmasked...

[...]

The skeleton of a portly figure was discovered almost by fluke when emergency repairs had to be made to the abbey at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Cracks had appeared in the ‘mouldered walls’ that featured in Wordsworth’s ‘At Furness Abbey’ verse from his 1805 Prelude, and in some of JWM Turner’s etchings.

They were caused by medieval wooden foundations rotting away. Archaeologists and structural engineers called in to examine them dug down and found an undisturbed, unmarked and unknown grave.

Its significance was immediately apparent. Whoever was buried here had been placed in the presbytery – the most prestigious position in the abbey, usually reserved for those held in greatest esteem.

With the remains were rare medieval jewellery and a silver and gilt crozier, a senior abbot’s staff of office.

[...]

Although he could have died as early as the 1150s, English Heritage curator Susan Harrison believes the grave more likely dates from the 1350s to early 1500s.

‘This is a very significant discovery,’ she said. ‘There has been no comparative grave found for the last 50 years in British archaeology.’

The head of the crozier, an ornamental staff carried by high-ranking members of the church, is gilded copper decorated with silver medallions that show the archangel Michael slaying a dragon.

The crook end is decorated with a serpent’s head. A small section of the wooden staff survives – as does part of the cloth the abbot held to prevent his hand tarnishing the crozier.

The ring he wore is gilded silver set with a gemstone of white rock crystal or white sapphire. It is possible that a hollow behind the stone contains a relic – perhaps what the monastery believed to be part of the body of a saint.

Read more: Daily Mail

[NYer]

The skeleton of a portly figure

Anyone want to conjecture on how they know this.

[Mamzelle]

Friar Tuck!

[Mamzelle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw9vaNS3b0s

[VanDeKoik]

Heeeeeeey Abbot!

I wonder if he can tell me who’s on first?

[Owl558]

Anyone know how long you have to be in the ground before grave robbing becomes science? Anthropologists love to dig up dead people and steal all their stuff.

[NYer]

Of possible interest to your list.

[BerryDingle]

Hey Abbott!

[Joe 6-pack]

"Anyone want to conjecture on how they know this."

Body Mass Estimation From The Human Skeleton

[smvoice]

I would like to know how long one has to be in the ground before one of his/her bones or other stuff become altar relics in the Catholic Church.

[goat granny]

LOL how they could tell by a skelton was also my first thought....Watched Bones too much I guess...love that show..

[goat granny]

Its all in the name.....Anthropologist are scientist, so its legal for them. good observations you got there...:O)

[Vermont Lt]

You read my mind. I was going to ask what the over under was on being uncovered, or dug up.

[texanred]

A ping for the GGG list mssr.

[absolootezer0]

That’s the only reason to watch tv. Lol

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Exactly. They should have some respect for the dead. He’s a dead abbot who was resting in peace. That’s all we need to know.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Anyone want to conjecture on how they know this. “

I believe curvature of the spine was mentioned yesterday.

[Owl558]

I’ve got to learn to read more. Here’s what the article said about the Abbot being fat:

The curvature of the spine suggests he was obese and perhaps suffering from type-2 diabetes.

That is possibly confirmed by the position of his arms, which lie flanked around his girth rather than crossed over his chest.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks NYer and texanred. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Sacajaweau]

They weighed the dust.