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An archaeologist unearthed a collection of scarce religious relics intentionally cast into an English river — and has now illuminated the reasons behind their disposal.
Gary Bankhead, an archaeologist affiliated with Durham University, has located a diverse array of valuable Christian artifacts within the River Wear in Durham.
The discovered items encompassed a bronze crucifix, a silver trowel, and a christening spoon, in addition to a silver key, a 19th-century Russian icon portraying Jesus on the cross, and a silver medal from 1964 depicting Christ with outstretched arms, encircled by Greek lettering in a Byzantine-inspired font.
Other noteworthy findings included gold, silver, and bronze medals commemorating the Second Vatican Council, along with a gold Greek Orthodox cross pendant and various other medals, including one marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Bankhead has associated the collection with Michael Ramsey, an English bishop who held the position of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1961 to 1974 and subsequently retired to Durham.
An archaeologist from Durham University uncovered a trove of Christian artifacts in the River Wear, connecting them to the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, pictured on the left, and prompting inquiries into their peculiar abandonment. (Ware in the World/Heritage Images via Getty Images; Gary Bankhead)
The discovery of a hoard of artifacts in a river is “exceptionally unusual,” according to Bankhead — particularly one linked to the leader of the Church of England.
Bankhead informed Fox News Digital that he has spent “many years” exploring the River Wear underwater and has retrieved more than 14,500 artifacts from the river in total.
Nevertheless, to him, the Ramsey hoard “immediately stood apart.”
He found the collection nearly two decades ago but recently detailed the findings in his publication, “Pilgrim Souvenirs, Devotional and other Objects of Faith: Late-medieval to modern period small finds from the River Wear, Durham.”
“What made it so striking was the way the objects had been deposited,” he stated. “They weren’t scattered randomly across the riverbed.”
Instead, Bankhead discovered “distinct clusters” situated beneath Prebends Bridge, one of Durham’s most recognized bridges.
The archaeologist observed that the hoard was distinct among over 14,500 items he has retrieved over the years. (Gary Bankhead)
The archaeologist noted it appeared “as though someone had stood above the bridge and deliberately dropped them into the water” — hinting at what was to follow.
Bankhead dedicated the subsequent two years to recovering the hoard. Once he had documented each item, he noticed a clear pattern emerging.
He discovered that Ramsey’s housekeeper, Audrey Heaton, removed the artifacts under the direction of Joan Ramsey, the bishop’s wife, as the pattern did not indicate foul play.
Bankhead mentioned that his explanation “only really came together” after he conversed with Heaton’s niece, who shared Heaton’s diaries and recollections of her aunt.
“She recognized that they had real historical and monetary value, and struggled with the idea of throwing them away.”
He concluded that Joan Ramsey had placed small groups of items into plastic bags, weighting them down with stones to ensure they sank — although the precise motive remains undetermined. Bankhead suggested the items might have been discarded because they were unsellable or un-giftable.
The niece informed Bankhead that she remembered her aunt being “extremely upset” about being asked to discard the religious articles into the river.
“She recognized that they had real historical and monetary value, and struggled with the idea of throwing them away,” Bankhead stated.
The explanation for the discovery materialized after diaries detailed distress regarding the request to dispose of the religious items. (Gary Bankhead)
“This wasn’t something Heaton ever forgot. It weighed heavily on her, which is why she talked about it whenever they met.”
The disposal process was clandestine, with Heaton tasked with discarding the bags during her early morning or late-night dog walks.
“She was instructed to ensure that no one saw what she was doing,” Bankhead remarked.
“My interest has always been in the history and the story — not the monetary value.”
He further elaborated, “The objects were not randomly dispersed. Items relating to Greek Orthodoxy were found together in one location, Vatican-associated objects in another, with the remaining material arranged in distinct clusters beneath the four different bridge abutments.”
Bankhead stated he has never viewed himself “as a treasure hunter in the commercial sense.”
“When the hoard was formally valued, I donated my share to the Help for Heroes charity, because making any personal financial gain from it never felt appropriate,” he conveyed.
The collection included a mix of Christian items, encompassing both Catholic and Greek Orthodox objects, with each group discovered clustered in separate areas beneath the bridge. (Gary Bankhead)
“My interest has always been in the history and the story — not the monetary value.”
Bankhead noted that each piece of treasure possessed its own narrative, with each meticulously crafted by skilled artisans.
Although the pieces are more contemporary, this is not the first instance in English history where religious artifacts have been intentionally discarded in a river.
The hoard “feels like a modern continuation of a pattern I’ve encountered repeatedly among the more than 14,500 artifacts I’ve recovered from the Wear,” Bankhead remarked.
The discovery revealed a collection of devotional objects spanning various Christian traditions and historical periods. (Gary Bankhead)
“[It shows] people choosing the river as the final resting place for religious or deeply personal objects,” he added.
“What the hoard makes clear is that this practice stretches back to late-medieval pilgrimage and continues, quite remarkably, into the 20th century.”
Bankhead’s book, “Pilgrim Souvenirs, Devotional and other Objects of Faith: Late-medieval to modern period small finds from the River Wear, Durham,” is available on Amazon.