This finely preserved example of a medieval papal bulla, or seal, was found at Compton near Guildford in Surrey and recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) as SUR-D520A7. It is named to pope Innocent III (1198-1216), one of the most powerful popes of the era. The obverse read INNO/CENTIVS/PP III and the reverse displays the heads of St. Peter (right) and St. Paul (left), facing inwards and separated by a small central cross patonce, with legend SPASPE (‘Saint Paul and St. Peter’) above. There are slots on the upper and lower edges for a ribbon which would have attached the bulla to a document.
A bulla like this was affixed to a document issued by the papacy in order to demonstrate its authenticity to the recipient. The associations with important church documents and the papacy often resulted in these objects being subsequently destroyed to decommission documents or modified for re-use as amulets or in another apotropaic fashion. This example has suffered none of these fates and remains intact and in remarkably good condition.
Beyond its intrinsic interest, this find has a potential local historical connection, being directly contemporary to the First Baron’s War (1215-1217), a time when nearby Guildford castle was a royal possession and the scene of dramatic events. The named pope on this bulla, Innocent III, was notably the pontif to whom King John turned in his attempts to annul Magna Carta and oppose the barons’ demands in July 2015. He dutifully proved to be a supporter of John’s royal cause and condemned the original charter signed “under duress” at Runnymede. Following this annulment of this iconic agreement the civil war intensified and on June 6th 1216, Prince Louis of France invaded with the support of the rebel English barons in a concerted attempt to unseat the King. The French army advanced across Surrey, arriving at Guildford on June 8th. The castle surrendered to him immediately, apparently without conflict and was briefly occupied by the French – an episode which saw it suffering damage and partial demolition. Across the rest of the country the war dragged on for a year and a half before Louis, having lost the support of the English barons, was finally defeated at Lincoln in May 1217.
Despite this historical context, the nature of the document to which this bulla was attached will of course never be known and we can only speculate as to the identity of the individual or establishment to which it was originally sent. It nevertheless offers a glimpse of a dramatic period and an interesting example of how a metal-detected stray find, when properly recorded and documented, can directly connect to wider historical events within the area in which it was found.
