Archaeology: Santiago Medieval Stonemason’s Humor

Sometimes the archaeology find is hiding in plain sight–in Santiago de Compostela. And it’s laughing at us.

This “Around the World” item in this month’s Archaeology Magazine caught my eye because one of my closest friends (and writing critique partner), Diane Benitez, regularly walks the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrims’ trail. She will have a great time hunting down this medieval joke at the end of the route. That is, when we can finally travel again.

Here’s an obscure joke carved in stone.

“SPAIN: For the past 800 years, millions of pilgrims have journeyed to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Very few, if any, have noticed a quirky feature on a column tucked away in a dark corner 40 feet above the cathedral’s floor. It appears that an anonymous medieval stonemason cheekily carved a small self-portrait into the building. Probably intended as an inside joke to be seen by his fellow artisans alone, the 11-inch-tall figure was only recently observed.”

Click here for “Around the World” in January 2020 Archaeology Magazine.

By the way, Diane’s memoir, Without a Second Thought, is an outstanding book. Immerse yourself in Spain. My review is here.

For a taste of my travels in Spain.