Repair work on the wall of the Rhine River Bank in Basel, Switzerland has revealed a seal stamp that belonged to the canter of Basel Cathedral in the late 13th century.
The seal was discovered last month during an underwater archaeological dig at the foot of the Pfalz, a viewing terrace overlooking the Rhine behind the Münster Cathedral. “Puffals” is derived from the Latin word for palace and the terrace is named after the bishop’s palace that used to be next to it. The cloister of the cathedral can be accessed directly from the gateway to the Pefalus.
The pointed oval seal is made of die brass and is in excellent condition. It depicts a man in ecclesiastical garb standing at a lectern near a large book. A cantor was a church choirmaster who chose the music, chanted the mass and sang solo parts. He also played an important administrative role as manager of the liturgical library, in charge of updating the cathedral’s records (deaths, charters, annals, etc.).
Around the image on the edges of the seal is the inscription X (Lysia). Basilian (SIS) + S (Eagle VM) rvdolfi.cantori, meaning Cathedral of Basel, seal of Rudolf Cantor. Surviving records identify the owner of the seal as the cathedral cantor Rudolf Kraft who lived between 1296 and 1305 at Augustinergesie 8 in what is now Basel, literally a minute’s walk from Pfalz.
Basel was not even part of the Swiss Confederation when this seal was in use. This happened 200 years later when the canton of Basel joined the confederation in 1501. The renovation of the river wall brings to light 2,000 years of the city’s history and renovations since then.
The riverside wall and the Münsterfahrbaudli landing stage are currently being renovated to protect the historic structures on the Rhine River Bank in Basel. The mud excavated material is being systematically tested with metal detectors by the Archaeological Soil Research Team. Depending on visibility, Basel archaeologists are using underwater cameras and drones for the first time. This approach allows for the most probable documentation of archaeological structures and finds, even under difficult conditions.
Archaeological discoveries at this site are no coincidence. As early as the winter of 1932/33, 580 Roman-era coins and several medieval objects were erected during low-water periods. Over the centuries, waste, debris and building materials from the Palatinate and the bishop’s residence were dumped down the slope into the Rhine. Collapses, such as the collapse of the Rhine slope in 1346 and the Palatinate in 1502, also contributed to a number of objects sliding into the river.
