They may not have had the Internet, but medieval people still liked to share a joke – as the discovery of what archaeologists call a historical ‘meme’ found in Northern England suggests.
Last year, in a field in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, a “quirky and unique” mountain was discovered depicting a man emerging from a snail shell on the back of a goat.
Memes have become an everyday part of 21st century life as people all over the world share funny or entertaining images, videos or other items online – especially through social media.
The artifact depicts a male knight wearing a Norman-style helmet with a long-sleeved tunic. He has one leg that pops forward, suggesting he is getting off the shell. His hands are pressed together as if in prayer, implying a religious connotation.
Armed knights fighting with snails are common in manuscripts from this period, according to the museum. Snails were often used to symbolize cowardice, with a knight’s victory suggesting a victory for good over evil.
These tweezers were part of a collection of Iron Age goods believed to have come from a cremation burial. Credit: The British Museum
But this theory doesn’t explain “the more comical fusion of snail and human on the mountain,” say experts.
“This might suggest that the original meaning ‘good versus evil’ has mutated into satirical connotations, a cultural phenomenon that means we can see this mountain as an early meme,” the museum said in a press release Monday.
“The image of the praying knight emerging from a snail shell atop a goat implies an element of parody or satire,” Beverley Nenk, curator of late medieval collections at the museum, said in the publication.
“The mountain can be a satirical reference to cowardly or non-chivalric behavior of opponents in battle, or as a parody of the upper or chivalric classes. As such, it shows the humor often found in medieval material culture,” added Nurture it.
The silver frame, which is 21.7 millimeters long and 16.8 millimeters wide, could have been worn as a badge or anywhere else on the owner’s clothing.
Among the other finds was a gold medieval seal matrix with a Roman intaglio engraved with an elephant. Credit: Norfolk City Council
It shows 1,094 examples of reported treasures in 2018, comprising more than 20,906 individual artifacts – 96% of which were discovered by metal detectors.
Among the other finds described in the report are Iron Age grave goods, including an unusually decorated mirror and tweezers, a Bronze Age treasure with unusual grab and bracelet, and a medieval seal matrix with an elephant.
The discoveries described in the report will be acquired by museums across Britain, many close to where they were found.