Risqué Anglo-Saxon royal seal found

The gold seal matrix, which was originally attached to a ring, is one of the most important Dark Age artefacts ever found in Britain. On one side is a human face with her name inscribed around it in Frankish form. On the other side are two naked figures thought to portray [Queen] Balthild and her husband, the Frankish (French) king [Clovis], having sex. The respectable side, according to this month's BBC History magazine, was used to seal official documents, while the reverse was no doubt used to seal more private correspondence between royal husband and wife.

Posted by David on June 16, 2003 9:56 AM