Hand of God (Vindolanda) facts for kids
The Hand of God is a cool bronze hand that archaeologists found at an old Roman fort called Vindolanda in England. People think it's from around 300 AD. Even though it's called the "Hand of God," it probably wasn't meant to be a religious symbol of a "Hand of God" like you might see in art.
Finding the Hand of God
In April 2018, a big archaeology project started at the Roman fort of Vindolanda. This fort is in Northern England, not far from Hadrian's Wall, which was a huge wall built by the Romans.
A team of archaeologists from the Vindolanda Trust, along with many volunteers, were digging in an area from the Severan period. This was a time between about 208 and 212 AD. During this period, there was a lot of fighting between the Roman soldiers and the local people who lived there.
Just a few weeks into their digging, they found something amazing! It was a bronze hand, about the size of a child's right hand. They found it about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) deep, buried under an old ditch from the Severan period. It was also several meters behind a temple that was built for a Roman god named Jupiter Dolichenus. Roman soldiers especially liked this god. The hand was likely placed in the ditch to celebrate the temple being finished.
What the Hand Looks Like
The hand is made of solid bronze and is about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. It's very detailed and looks super realistic, almost like a real hand! It seems like it used to hold something in its palm, but whatever it was is now gone. The bottom of the hand has a hollow part, like a socket. This means it was probably attached to a pole and used to give blessings to people who worshipped at the temple.
Some people think the hand might have held a small statue of Jupiter Dolichenus. This god is often shown riding a bull and holding an axe and a lightning bolt. But nobody knows for sure what the hand was holding. It's just a guess!
Today, the Hand of God is on display all the time at the Vindolanda Museum. You can go see it if you visit!
External Websites
- Vindolanda Charitable Trust
- Hadrian's Wall in Vindolanda
- Deo Mercurio
