Medieval Papal Seal Unearthed in Estonia

TALLINN, ESTONIA—Estonian Public Radio reports that a well-preserved fourteenth-century papal seal, or bulla, belonging to Pope Clement V was unearthed in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Archaeologist Mihkel Tammet of Muinasprojekt said that the bulla was found in a medieval layer that also contained ceramics and other artifacts. He thinks it may have been brought to the site with waste and soil carried from Old Town to fertilize fields and gardens. “Only three papal bullae—papal seals—are known from Estonia, and all of them are attached to documents in the Tallinn City Archives,” added historian Ivar Leimus. To read about silver and gold coins unearthed in feature that feature portraits of several medieval popes, go to "A Catalog of Princes."