Another Two-fer! Holy Water Batman - Double Check Your Hole

[BioProfessor]

Hi all,

I got an invite to take a little boat ride from The Netherlands to the UK to check out a country estate just east of Ipswich in the UK. When I got there, I found out that the estate owner didn't really understand metal detecting. The estate is a little over 500 acres and when I looked it over with Google Earth, it looked to be about 75% pasture and 25% woods. Not a bad mix of chunks of lead in one place and old shotgun shells in the other. Just typical UK. What I didn't know was that there were no longer any animals in the pastures - no horses, no sheep, nothing. So all the pastures were grass all right. TALL grass. So I had the run of the whole place. Ouch.

So I walk the estate and find a small part of a hillside that has lots of nettles and areas of grass and weeds that are not that tall. I can weave my way through the area and find a "path" where I can swing my stock coil. No use in even trying the WOT. Not a chance.

So I have an area of about 100 meters by about 150 meters that are huntable. Well I've got 10 days so I figure I will cover it pretty good.

I hunt through the area the first day and find the normal pieces of lead, little snippets of brass, a crotal bell, a buckle or two, and a few what's its. I find one mid 1800's silver 6 pence so I figure it is at least a place that still has stuff to find.

On my second day, I'm working my way up the field and get a nice low tone. Lead. But you're there and you have to dig it. Hey it could be good lead. Something like a nice musket ball. Well I dig it and out pops what I think is the typical "gob" of lead sheet that was evidently used to repair everything in the UK for the past 1000 years. I pick it up and since I have more time than land to hunt, I brush it off. It's not a hunk of lead, it's a medieval (13th - 15th century part of it) lead Holy Water Ampulla. I couldn't believe it. Only this little chunk of land and I find this!! Made my day. Couldn't do the gold dance but it was a least worth a little jig.

Probably because I had the time, I scan my hole before I cover it up. Low signal still there. WT OK, now it's going to be the musket ball. So out comes another shovel of dirt and a second Ampulla rolls down the pile of dirt. And this one is PERFECT!! A 600 year old artifact that is in this shape. Now I was ready to do some kind of dance. Just had to. Two Medieval Holy Water Ampullae in the same place.

Holy cow!

Made my week for sure.

Thanks for looking.

Daryl

 

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[Sticky]

Way cool, and two in the same hole

 

[Mr Tuff]

sweet relics!!!! MR TUFF

 

[shaun7]

I'm still waiting for one of them

 

[BioProfessor]

From what I can find out about their use, two together may not be that strange. They were sometimes used to bring holy water from a shrine and then the water was sprinkled on a field for a good harvest or the entire vessel was buried. From the looks of the two of these, one was most likely used to sprinkle the water and the vessel discarded and the other was buried with the water inside. It may have been a special place in the field where the "ceremony" or blessing would take place and they wound up one over the other. Maybe centuries apart or maybe the same person. Never know.

I just like to imagine life back then when they were actually used and then to dig them up and hold them. That's the thrill.

Daryl

 

[montepollock]

That is a great find,I live in central U.S.A and C1840 is considered a very old find..
I am a Relic Hunter will likely never have a chance to search abroad,Thanks for sharing..
Happy Hunting,Mont

 

[CAgem]

Nice finds, Daryl! I've only found one of those and it was well smashed like your first one.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

All I can say as a relic hunter myself is; WOW!

I'm glad your having fun over there Daryl.

 

[traderoftreasures]

maybe it's holy land...

 

[Michiganne]

Very nice relics! Congrats!

HH

 

[CRUSADER]

Never heard of these coming out in two's, its a rare find indeed

As well as mentioned they were used for any number of illnesses, or placed over doorways.

If you can get better pictures of the design, I maybe able to pin down a shrine.
Your pretty near the 'Lady of Ipswich' but that was a Crowned 'I'

 

[BioProfessor]

I wish I could get a better picture but I left everything with the estate owner. Part of the deal.

I'll miss it but maybe I can visit it next year and get to hunt the village and church. If that happens, then leaving the stuff was well worth it.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Placed there for sure Daryl never hear of two coming out the same field...let alone the same hole sound like a great place to search, just a shame about the terrain

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

I think you are right that they were placed there. As far as being in the same hole, the nice one was about 8" deeper than the other one. Probably just coincidence that they wound up together. Now if they were lying side by side, I'd be looking for somebody punking me.

I'm just glad I didn't sign the second one. I wasn't being too careful. Luck was on my side.

Daryl