A 12th-century stone carving found in northern Germany may depict Otto of Bamberg, a bishop and missionary. A man building a house in Germany has discovered a rare 12th-century carved boulder — a “picture stone” — that may depict a Christian bishop who visited the area about 800 years ago.
The medieval find is a “sensation” because there are only about 20 other picture stones known in the region. Known in Germany as “bildstein,” the stones have been found along the Baltic Sea coast in parts of modern-day Germany and Poland. Although they vary in style and shape, they typically depict people with few identifying features, such as clothing.
The carving may depict Otto of Bamberg (1060-1139), a bishop who served the royal family and a missionary who sought to convert people in Pomerania, now part of Germany and Poland.
Whether or not the Bildstein depicts Otto, it is an absolutely remarkable find that takes us back to the time when the Christian religion first came to Pomerania, brought by Otto, who at the same time became famous for his success in negotiating peace between the Polish duke and the Pomeranian nobility, Jantzen, who also works for the State Office for Culture and Monument Protection, told Live Science.
The newly discovered carving is the only known stone carving to depict a cross. ©LAKD MV
The stone was found in August when Peter Wittenberg, a homeowner in the village of Klotzow, began moving soil near his house to get to its foundations. He found a 3-foot-long (1-meter) boulder just beneath the surface, but he only realized it was “something special” when he saw it had “very old-fashioned carvings.”
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The Wittenberg architect contacted an art historian, and soon news of the “extraordinary find” reached the state archaeological office, which delivered it to a laboratory for study.
Based on the decoration and symbols on the granite carving, the team dated it to the 12th century. It depicts a man standing upright, wearing some sort of hat, shawl, short robe and possibly shoes. In his right hand, the man is carrying what appears to be a banner. The face is not depicted in detail, but the eyes are clearly visible and there may be hair sticking out from under the hat.
But there is one particular detail – a carved cross on the “loose end of the shawl” – that stands out because it is the only known carving on stone depicting a cross.
Several details, including the cross, indicate that the carved figure is Otto. It is possible that the shawl and cross are a pallium, a religious garment worn by popes, archbishops, and highly respected bishops. Written sources detail that Otto received the pallium from Pope Paschalis II in 1111. When Otto traveled through Pomerania in 1124 and 1128, he was the first and only possible wearer of the pallium at that time in that area. Otto likely passed through Klotzow during his travels through the region.
While it is unknown what the engraved stones were used for, it is believed that they were standing upright as a kind of memorial to a person, and some may have been gravestones. Once the team has completed their analysis of the stone’s design, they hope to place it on permanent display in the village where it was discovered.
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