For years, archaeologist Gary Bankhead kept finding religious artifacts clustered within one section of England's River Wear, including a 19th-century Russian icon depicting Jesus on the cross and a Christ medal with Greek letters in a Byzantine-style font.
Gary Bankhead/YouTubeDivers Gary Bankhead (pictured) and his brother, Trevor, discovered the artifacts in the River Wear in Durham, England.
Between 2007 and 2009, divers Gary and Trevor Bankhead discovered a wealth of religious relics at the bottom of the River Wear in Durham, England. The collection was impressive, yet odd. There were gold, silver, and bronze medals commemorating the Second Vatican Council, an Elizabeth II coronation medal, a bronze crucifix, and a variety of other religious and ceremonial artifacts.
After investigating, it became clear that, first, this treasure was not ancient, and second, it had a clear, if surprising, origin story. The artifacts’ original owner was Michael Ramsey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. But how did so many of his possessions end up at the bottom of a river?
Answering that question took years. Now, it appears that there’s finally a solution to this mystery.
Why These Religious Artifacts Were Found In England’s River Wear
Gary BankheadGary Bankhead has found more than 14,500 artifacts in total, not all related to Michael Ramsey.
When these relics were first discovered, their presence at the bottom of the river understandably perplexed journalists, readers, and historians alike.
As reported by the Guardian, some speculated that there may have been a burglary at the home into which Ramsey moved after his retirement in 1974.
However, others speculated that Ramsey could have, for one reason or another, disposed of the items himself, choosing to get rid of them by simply dropping them into the river.
Dutch National ArchivesMichael Ramsey was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1961 to 1974.
This theory isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds on the surface. In his role as Archbishop of Canterbury, Ramsey collected numerous gifts and religious objects. As he approached retirement, the question arose of what he could do with these various items. According to a friend, the Very Reverend Victor Stock, Dean of Guildford, he sold several pieces that had been donated to him after retirement.
Even though he had donated the money to Christian Aid, Stock claims that the donors were upset to learn of their sale, causing Ramsey considerable embarrassment. This may have left Ramsey with a conundrum. What was he to do with the rest of his gifts and holy possessions?
“When he and Joan were packing up that house, both quite elderly and not very well, he would have wondered what on earth to do with the rest of the stuff: he didn’t want it, they had no children, he couldn’t sell it, he wouldn’t have wanted to cause further embarrassment by giving it away,” Stock told the Guardian.
“He used to go for a walk by the river every day, whatever the weather. I think it’s entirely plausible to imagine him making up a little packet, and quietly dropping it into the water,” Stock continued. “He would have thought that would be the end of it, nobody would ever see them again.”
Even though others consulted on the matter thought the theory was plausible, there was no proof that this was the case — until now.
How Exactly Michael Ramsey’s Relics Got Into The River
For years, those following this story were simply left to speculate about how so many of those objects ended up at the bottom of the river. However, a recent discovery shines a little more light on what exactly happened.
Gary Bankhead YouTube
Gary Bankhead pieced together how exactly the treasure made its way to the bottom of the river.
As reported by Fox News, Gary Bankhead was eventually able to piece together the whole story after reading the diaries of Ramsey’s housekeeper, Audrey Heaton, and speaking with Heaton’s niece.
According to Bankhead, the story goes something like this. Ramsey did not know what to do with the religious objects and gifts. Ramsey’s wife, Joan, resolved this issue by asking Heaton to dispose of the objects by throwing them into the River Wear.
This was not done without care or planning. Bankhead claims that Joan Ramsey separated the items into plastic bags, then weighed them down with stones to ensure that they sank. Heaton was instructed to be careful and discreet in her mission. Specifically, she was told to get rid of the objects while walking her dogs early in the morning and late at night — and to make sure that no one saw her do it.
Gary BankheadAn assortment of the relics found in the River Wear by Gary Bankhead.
“The objects were not randomly dispersed,” Bankhead tells Fox News. “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 further stated that Heaton was troubled by these actions. Heaton’s niece claims that throwing the pieces into the river made her “extremely upset” and that, per Bankhead, “she recognized that they had real historical and monetary value, and struggled with the idea of throwing them away.”
Now, many of these pieces have been retrieved. Some are being held in a cathedral safe, per the Guardian. Others can be found in Durham University’s Museum of Archaeology.
If you’re interested in more unexpected discoveries, learn about how a pair of metal detectorists stumbled across the largest hoard of Viking coins ever found. And for more stories of treasure with debated origins, learn about the mysterious $10 million Saddle Ridge Hoard.
