Man Discovers 900-Year-Old Stone Carving Beneath His House in Germany

During a recent home renovation in Klotzow, Germany, a man stumbled upon something unexpected: a three-foot-long bildstein, or picture stone, dating to the 12th century.

The boulder features a carved figure draped in robes with a cross in front of his body. Experts think it may represent Otto of Bamberg, the bishop and missionary credited with spreading Christianity to the region. It’s also the only known picture stone to depict a figure with a cross.

Klotzow is a village located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a state in northern Germany. According to a statement from the state’s culture ministry, a resident named Peter Wittenberg discovered the stone while working on his home’s foundations. The large artifact was buried just a few centimeters below the surface.

Wittenberg, who knew he had found something special, reported his discovery to officials. Experts moved it to the city of Schwerin, where researchers could conduct a careful examination.

“The significance of this find cannot be overestimated,” says Detlef Jantzen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s chief archaeologist, in the statement. “The new find from Klotzow is the only one that could depict a Christian dignitary. Now, we are going to try to learn more about the stone’s original location.”

Carved picture stones first appeared in the 4th century and were produced through the 12th century. They featured a rich variety of artistic styles, and many of them served as memorials to individuals who had died. According to the culture ministry, picture stones that reveal evidence of Christianization are especially rare.

Born in 1060, Otto of Bamberg dedicated his life to converting populations in an area known as Pomerania, located in parts of present-day Germany and Poland. According to some accounts, the number of people he baptized may be in the tens of thousands.

“With this exceptionally significant find, we can add another important piece to the mosaic of our country’s history,” says Bettina Martin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s culture minister, in the statement. “Bishop Otto of Bamberg undertook his first missionary journey to Pomerania in 1124. The fact that a picture stone from this period has now been found exactly 900 years later is an extremely fortunate circumstance.”

There are only around 20 known picture stones in the region today, as Jantzen tells Live Science’s Laura Geggel. He thinks the figure’s shawl and cross could be a pallium, a religious cloth worn by the pope, archbishops and some bishops.

“Otto received the pallium from Pope Paschalis II,” Jantzen adds. “When Otto was traveling in Pomerania in 1124 and 1128, he was the first and only possible bearer of a pallium at that time in that area.”

Specialists in Schwerin are currently examining and documenting the stone artifact. When they’re done, officials hope to display it in Klotzow, where it was found.

“The finder deserves thanks and the highest recognition for reporting his discovery immediately,” says Martin in the statement. “The experts from the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation and the local monument protection authority will now take care of securing and further examining this one-of-a-kind find.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.