Saints and their Badges

Pilgrim badges were bought by pilgrims visiting holy sites across Europe, partly as souvenirs, butalso for the mystical properties these badges were believed to absorb when touched to holy relics. Such pilgrim trinkets are not common metal-detectedfinds, but given their fragile nature it is quite possible many detectorists have found them without realising it, perhaps even throwing them away! Many badges are unassuming little lead- or copper-alloy objects, but others have intricate designs, and can even be made of precious metal. This book offers an ntroduction to some of the more common badges, also giving further information on pilgrimage in the medieval period and the saints’ lives these badges celebrate.

Dr. Michael Lewis is Deputy Head of thePortable Antiquities Scheme and Curator, Medieval Collections, British Museum. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Member of the Institute for Archaeologists. He has a particular interest in the archaeology and history of the ‘medieval’ period from about AD 1000.

ISBN978-1-897738-55-9

168pp 250mm x 190mm