Mediaeval graffiti

[Brian G Turner]

A short piece with images about a project to document mediaeval graffiti:
BBC News - Mysteries of medieval graffiti in England's churches

 

[The Judge]

One of the most famous examples of early medieval graffiti are the Viking runes at Hagia Sophia Viking Graffiti in Hagia Sophia: Varangians in Constantinople

I don't remember seeing old graffiti on church walls, but we visited Wells Cathedral a few weeks ago and a couple of alabaster tombs were covered in it, though I imagine that's later, starting from the Civil War or Protectorate.

King John's House in Romsey has a hall on the upper floor where the 13th century wall plaster has graffiti dating to 1306 -- mainly shields bearing coats of arms, though whether done by the knights themselves or their retainers, no one knows.

 

[paranoid marvin]

There's Roman graffiti in some of the chambers of the Pyramids I think.

People have always wanted to make their mark - one way or another. In some ways it's comforting to know that as a race there's not that much difference between us know and back then.