Rare Medieval Seal Matrix Found By 10-Year-Old Boy In UK
One does not have to be a trained archaeologist to find something of great historical value. A young boy discovered a very rare Medieval seal matrix while treasure hunting with his father in Suffolk, England.
Sometimes, we don’t need to be an exceptional archaeological expert to be able to discover something remarkable in terms of historical value. True to that, recently, a young boy has found a unique Medieval seal matrix on a treasure hunt with his dad in Suffolk, England.
The boy, named George Henderson, went on a charity excavation with his father, Paul Henderson, to raise funds for the Air Ambulance in Woodbridge when they stumbled upon an early 13th-century seal depicting the Virgin and Child buried about 5 inches under the surface.
“George was laid back about it at first but, as the day wore on, people kept asking to look at it and he got more excited. He seems to be better at making important finds than me! Having said that, there have been plenty of times when he’s come back with nothing. I always tell him to keep at it – and he got his reward,” Paul continued.
Meanwhile the discovery of George and his father was deemed of “Regional Importance” on the the PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme) database. He said, “I’m happy I discovered it.”
Based on the prehistoric wording on the artifact, George was able to acknowledge that his discovery was related to the chronicle of the location. The seal’s Latin carvings say, ‘Seal of the Priory and Convent of Butley, of Adam, Canon Regular’.
The Madonna figure on the seal would have been pressed into wax to seal official correspondence. Despite the fact that the ancient seal is exceptionally precious, George believed that he and his father considered the artifact’s magnitude of more significance.
"The seal's historical importance rather than value is what's important to both me and George," Paul said. "It's the most exciting find either of us have ever made." Because of its uniqueness and chronical importance, the copper-alloy item was put on auction at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall in Derbyshire where it was purchased for £4,000 ($5,239) to a private UK buyer.
The proceeds will now be shared between lucky finder George and the farmer whose land the treasure was discovered on. A valuable find like this one can make a vital impression on a young boy, and who knows, it may even inspire George to become an archaeologist later, and if not, it will still be a memory for life.
Sometimes, we don’t need to be an exceptional archaeological expert to be able to discover something remarkable in terms of historical value. True to that, recently, a young boy has found a unique Medieval seal matrix on a treasure hunt with his dad in Suffolk, England.
The boy, named George Henderson, went on a charity excavation with his father, Paul Henderson, to raise funds for the Air Ambulance in Woodbridge when they stumbled upon an early 13th-century seal depicting the Virgin and Child buried about 5 inches under the surface.
Source: Hansons Auctioneers
George Henderson showing the Medieval seal matrix he discovered.
“George has been metal detecting on and off since the age of five but he doesn’t always come out with me. He’s found one or two interesting things over the years.He knew the seal was special when he dug it up but he didn’t know what it was. I did. I knew it was a medieval seal matrix. What I didn’t know then was how unusual or valuable it was,” said Paul.“George was laid back about it at first but, as the day wore on, people kept asking to look at it and he got more excited. He seems to be better at making important finds than me! Having said that, there have been plenty of times when he’s come back with nothing. I always tell him to keep at it – and he got his reward,” Paul continued.
Meanwhile the discovery of George and his father was deemed of “Regional Importance” on the the PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme) database. He said, “I’m happy I discovered it.”
Based on the prehistoric wording on the artifact, George was able to acknowledge that his discovery was related to the chronicle of the location. The seal’s Latin carvings say, ‘Seal of the Priory and Convent of Butley, of Adam, Canon Regular’.
Source: Hansons Auctioneers
Priory seal.
The ecclesiastical relic is related to Butley Priory, a religious house for canons discovered near Woodbridge in 1171. Adam served as its prior from 1219 to 1235, meaning that the object is at least nearly 800 years old. The priory kept serving as a religious base for priests and a site dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary until 1538.The Madonna figure on the seal would have been pressed into wax to seal official correspondence. Despite the fact that the ancient seal is exceptionally precious, George believed that he and his father considered the artifact’s magnitude of more significance.
"The seal's historical importance rather than value is what's important to both me and George," Paul said. "It's the most exciting find either of us have ever made." Because of its uniqueness and chronical importance, the copper-alloy item was put on auction at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall in Derbyshire where it was purchased for £4,000 ($5,239) to a private UK buyer.
The proceeds will now be shared between lucky finder George and the farmer whose land the treasure was discovered on. A valuable find like this one can make a vital impression on a young boy, and who knows, it may even inspire George to become an archaeologist later, and if not, it will still be a memory for life.
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