Archaeologists in England find a rare "boy bishop" token: these were distributed to the poor at Christmas (photo)

National Trust archaeologists have found a medieval Christmas token on the Oxborough Estate in Norfolk. The token, which dates back to 1470-1560, was found by metal detectors in West Park.

The token is made of lead. On one side, it has an image of a long cross, and on the other side, a badly damaged image of a bishop's head, Suffolk News reports.

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Archaeologists believe that the token comes from Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, which was one of the largest and richest abbeys in England. The abbey was known for its Christmas ceremonies, during which choristers played the role of "bishop boys". These boys would hand out tokens to the poor that could be spent on food between St. Nicholas Day and All Saints' Day.

Archaeologists believe that one of the villagers of Oxborough must have traveled to Bury St. Edmunds to see the festive ceremonies. The token he bought is evidence that even the poorest people in medieval England could participate in cultural life.

As a reminder, ancient people used to make drinking bowls out of human skulls.

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