South

Metal detectorist stumbles upon rare medieval pilgrim badge

Published

2 years ago

April 27, 2024

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Metal detectorist stumbles upon rare medieval pilgrim badge

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A metal detectorist in southeastern Poland recently unearthed a Christian pilgrim badge from the Middle Ages, state officials say.

The badge was found in the village of Wólka Nieliska, less than 50 miles southeast of Lublin, according to the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments (WKZ).

The pendant, made from lead and alloy, has a diameter of around 2.8 centimeters and is 1 millimeter thick.

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In a Facebook post that was translated to English, the WKZ said that the badge “features a dragon enclosed in a circle.”

A medieval pilgrim’s badge was found in the village of Wólka Nieliska, less than 50 miles southeast of Lublin, Poland. (Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments via Facebook)

Archaeologist Thomsz Murzyński told Fox News Digital that the artifact was given to him by an anonymous metal detectorist. Murzyński then handed the badge over to the government.

Medieval pilgrims wore badges for a variety of reasons: not only did they believe it could protect them from disease and danger, but it also marked them as Christian travelers as they journeyed through unfamiliar territories.

“Such badges served as a kind of talisman, intended to provide the person wearing it with success in the journey and to protect such a person from all kinds of ‘evil,’ i.e. assault, theft, diseases and other random accidents,” the WKZ described.

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The badge is made from lead and alloy and has a diameter of around 2.8 centimeters. (Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments via Facebook)

“They were also a way to distinguish yourself and manifest your destination.”

Travelers could also purchase the badges as souvenirs at pilgrimage sites, which many did as a commemoration of their trips. According to the WKZ, not many medieval badges have been found in Poland.

The badges date back to the early Middle Ages and gained popularity in the 12th century after Thomas Becket’s death inspired mass pilgrimages to Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrim badges fell out of favor by the 16th century.

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A 13th century Spanish miniature of a poor man and a pilgrim receiving hospitality at a monastery. (Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

According to the WKZ, the badges could depict anything from exotic animals to Christian symbols.

“They had various forms and shapes – spiral, square, in the form of cross, shells, rings, shield,” the Facebook post read. “They featured figures of saints, knights, human heads and chests, as well as zoomorphic figures (birds, animals, dragons).”

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Archaeologists say that similar medieval pilgrim’s badges are hard to find in Poland. (Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments via Facebook)

Fox News Digital reached out to the WKZ for comment.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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Georgia

Ga. lawmakers propose changes to state’s early voting process

Published

6 minutes ago

February 28, 2026

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Ga. lawmakers propose changes to state’s early voting process

ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – State legislators are considering more changes to Georgia’s voting law, proposing a new bill that would alter the way early voters cast ballots.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming, introduced SB 568 this week. The proposal would assign early voters to one precinct in their county. Currently, voters can cast early votes at any precinct in their county.

It would also move early voting to a hand-marked paper ballot system, where voters use a pen to mark their selections, instead of the currently used touchscreen system.

“So that we would not have to print so many permutations at the paper ballots, we would assign voters to an early voting location,” said Dolezal. “Most people are going to vote to the at the early voting location closest to their home anyway.”

The bill was immediately met with backlash from democrats as a barrier to the vote.

“I have no idea how voting on a piece of paper, marking it down with your pencil in any way suppresses the vote,” said Dolezal. “For most counties out of, you know, 140 call it out of 159, they just have one location.”

Dolezal’s proposal would also require local clerks to publicly post their entire voting rolls ahead of elections.

“Making public every single voter who is qualified to vote is to some extent, a little bit of an invasion of privacy for each individual voter,” said state Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta). “We need to have trust in our election officials to run those elections.”

It’s the latest change the legislature has proposed to Georgia’s voting system.

“You have dirty, dirty voting rolls, you’re going to have dirty elections,” Dolezal said.

The bill would also shift responsibility for voter challenges from the counties to the State Elections Board. In addition, it would also move the threshold for an automatic recount in the state from a 1.5% margin to 2%.

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Kentucky

Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth

Published

48 minutes ago

February 28, 2026

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Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth

(LEX 18) — With peak flood season approaching in eastern Kentucky, a new license plate is hitting the road with a mission: helping communities recover when disaster strikes.

The Kentucky League of Cities is launching the Cities Drive Kentucky license plate to raise money for communities affected by natural disasters. The plates are expected to arrive at county clerk’s offices across the state next month.

Kentucky League of Cities CEO J.D. Chaney said the idea grew from watching Kentuckians rally together during past disasters — most notably in 2021, when an EF-4 tornado touched down in western Kentucky as part of a widespread outbreak.

“We saw people from the far east going far west that weren’t even touched,” Chaney said.

Chaney said getting local governments back on their feet quickly is essential to helping residents recover.

“Getting the city up and going to be able to respond to the citizens they serve is absolutely critical for individuals to make recovery,” Chaney said.

The Kentucky League of Cities also aims to serve as a communication hub during disasters, helping local officials manage the flood of offers of support so they can focus on their communities.

“They’ve got [300] or 400 other phone calls they need to be doing, and we help on that other side. So, there’s one point of contact to facilitate those things,” Chaney said.

The need for that kind of support is growing. Research from the organization shows extreme weather caused $22 million in damages in 2025.

Chaney described the license plate program as a safety net for cities across Kentucky.

“It’s an insurance policy, for Kentucky cities to know that they have that backing with other communities that have the resources so they can immediately get back and start serving their constituency,” Chaney said.

“We hope others also see how important that is,” Chaney added.

The Cities Drive Kentucky license plates will be available at county clerk’s offices statewide next month.

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