Cathedral’s lost treasures sat hidden in basement for 500 years — until now. See them
Under a cathedral in southern Norway sat a collection of buried treasures. Hidden 500 years ago for their own protection, the long-lost artifacts had been forgotten — until now.
Archaeologists excavated the basement under Stavanger Cathedral’s north tower after a 700-year-old carving was found there by chance, the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger said in a May 22 news release.
The project uncovered several more artifacts, including a rectangular gilded copper plate.
Archaeologists X-rayed the tarnished plate and were surprised to find it had the design of a church building, one of the project’s leaders, Bettina Ebert, said in the release. A photo shows the stained glass window and arched ceiling carved in the copper.
Near the buried plate, excavations unearthed a gilded silver medallion with an animal symbol and several glass gems, the museum said.
Taken together, archaeologists identified the artifacts as part of the 12th century cathedral’s long-lost reliquary, a type of box used to hold sacred relics. A photo shows the colorful artifacts.
Stavanger Cathedral’s reliquary was believed to have been lost 500 years ago, the museum said. Experts thought the treasures were taken and destroyed as part of the Protestant Reformation.
The newfound artifacts suggest that some of the cathedral’s treasures were actually hidden in the crypt in the Middle Ages and have been sitting there ever since, archaeologists said.
Sean Denham, another excavation leader, described the finds as being sensational.
Archaeologists also uncovered dozens of other artifacts, including several ivory figures once used on altars, fragments of religious artifacts, pieces of old stained glass windows and a woven gold band, the museum said.
The cathedral’s basement also held 160 coins and 60 coin fragments mostly from the Middle Ages, archaeologists said. The collection is the largest of its type ever found in the city.
Excavations also found a burial chamber, most likely belonging to a bishop. A photo shows what was left of the tomb.
The museum hopes to put the artifacts on public display sometime next year as part of the cathedral’s 900th anniversary.
Stavanger Cathedral is in the coastal city of Stavanger, a roughly 300-mile drive southwest from Oslo.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger.
This story was originally published May 23, 2024 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Cathedral’s lost treasures sat hidden in basement for 500 years — until now. See them."
