LUBLIN, POLAND—A metal detectorist in southeast Poland discovered a medieval pilgrim badge, which was made of tin-lead alloy and decorated with a mythological design, according to a Live Science report. Such badges were often worn by Christian pilgrims to signify that they were traveling or had traveled to a certain holy place, and were also believed to safeguard the wearer against illness and accidents while on a journey. At the center of this circular badge is the figure of a basilisk, a winged mythological creature that resembles a dragon. Although researchers have found other pilgrim badges throughout Poland, this is the first to feature the image of a basilisk. More commonly, the medieval artifacts depict saints or knights, or are shaped like shields, crosses, or spirals. To read about pilgrim badges unearthed in the Netherlands, go to “Letter from Rotterdam: The City and the Sea.”
