They may not have had the internet, but medieval people still liked to share a joke, as the discovery of what archaeologists dub a historical “meme” found in the north of England suggests.
Last year a “quirky and unique” mount was unveiled depicting a man coming out of a snail shell on the back of a goat in a field in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
Memes have become an everyday part of 21st century life as people around the world share images, videos, or other fun or entertaining articles online, especially through social media.
The artifact shows a male gentleman wearing a Norman-style helmet with a long-sleeved tunic. It has one leg throwing forward, suggesting it comes out of the shell. His hands are pressed as if in prayer, implying religious connotations.
According to the museum, armed knights fighting snails are common in manuscripts from this period. Snails were often used to symbolize cowardice with the victory of a knight who suggested a victory of 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 does not explain “the most comical fusion of the snail with the mountain man,” experts say.
“This could suggest that the original meaning‘ good versus evil ’has mutated to satirical connotations, a cultural phenomenon meaning we can see this mountain as an early meme,” the museum said in a press release on Monday.
“The image of the praying knight emerging from a snail shell on top of a goat implies an element of parody or satire,” Beverley Nenk, curator of the museum’s late medieval collections, said in the statement.
“The mountain can be a satirical reference to the cowardly or non-chivalrous behavior of opponents in battle, or as a parody of the upper or chivalrous classes. As such, it demonstrates the humor often found in medieval material culture.” added Nenk.
The silver support, which measures 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 an array of medieval gold stamps with a Roman carving engraved with an elephant. Credit: Norfolk City Council
In 2018, 1,094 examples of reported treasures are shown, consisting of more than 20,906 individual artifacts, 96% of which were discovered by metal detectors.
Other finds detailed in the report include Iron Age funerary items, including an unusually decorated mirror and tweezers, a Bronze Age treasure with unusual tweezers and bracelet, and a matrix. of medieval stamps depicting an elephant.
The discoveries detailed in the report are to be acquired by museums across Britain, many close to where they were found.