At medieval Templar church, mystery stone may point to 12th-century sarcophagus

What lies beneath? (photo: Kate Chandler)

In spite of Dan Brown’s best efforts, I’m still intrigued by the Knights Templar. And clearly I’m not alone. Ever watched the National Geographic Channel? You can’t swing a dead cat around their programming schedule without hitting a special about the secretive Christian warriors.

No doubt, then, a NatGeo producer is already en route to Midlothian, Scotland, where a mysterious stone was recently uncovered near the Old Parish Church. From the Scotsman:

What appears to be the carved top of a sarcophagus was unearthed when builders were excavating and reinforcing a wall alongside the old ruined church in Temple, Midlothian.

But the inscriptions, which include symbols similar to those found in Viking monuments, in medieval graves and in West Highland Celtic carvings, have baffled archaeologists.

Crispin Phillips, who is renovating a house alongside The Old Parish Church, said: “I was on a mission to repair the wall – which was falling into the graveyard. We got near the bottom of the foundations and found something buried there…

Mr Phillips contacted Historic Scotland and East Lothian Council, whose archaeologists cover Midlothian.He said the stone had been photographed and recorded but he was still unclear whether further investigations would be carried out. “One of the archaeologists who came out told us it was probably from the early 12th century,” he added. “But really I’m still in limbo about what to do about it.”

Historian and author John Ritchie said the stone raised many questions. “It is a crude carving, quite primitive, but I have never seen anything like it in my life,” he said. “It has a whole series of symbols on it and the symbols are very interesting.

“The symbols at the bottom look like Viking sun compasses, while the dials at the top look a little bit like a Celtic cross but with notches carved on them.”

Not everyone is impressed. Nor even convinced of the stone’s authenticity. According to historian Michael Turnbull, “There were certainly Templars there but this might be a fake.” Well.

But the find at least makes broad sense. The village of Temple, where the stone was found, takes its name from the Knights Templar, whose headquarters were located there. And the ruined chapel sits on the grounds of a former Templar abbey, established on land given to the organization in 1127.

And what good is a Templar mystery without a bit of treasure hunting? This tale doesn’t disappoint. According to local legend, a lost Templar hoard remains to be found: “Twixt the oak and the elm tree, you will find buried the millions free.”

via Mystery stone found near church linked to Knights Templar – Scotsman.com News .