Archaeologists uncover rare medieval saint figures in Berlin's Molkenmarkt

Archaeologists excavating at Berlin's historic Molkenmarkt unearthed a rare collection of 15th-century saint statuettes, including an almost intact figure of Saint Catherine of Alexandria made of white clay. The statuette stands 11 centimeters high and is adorned with attributes of her martyrdom such as a sword, a wheel, and a jagged crown, according to Die Welt.

Another significant find is a 7-centimeter-high Madonna statuette with the Child Jesus, believed to be from the 15th century. The head of the Madonna figure is missing, the Berliner Zeitung reported.

"Both statuettes provide a special insight into the civic piety of the late Middle Ages," explained Sebastian Heber, head of the Department of Archaeological Monument Preservation at the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Berlin, according to N-TV.

Since the beginning of the excavations five years ago, archaeologists at Molkenmarkt have recovered around 600,000 finds. Among these is a depot of medieval saint figures containing 188 ceramic statuettes of female figures from the mid-14th century, as reported by HeritageDaily.

Catherine of Alexandria was regarded in hagiographic literature as both a princess and a noted scholar who converted hundreds of people to Christianity, HeritageDaily noted. She was imprisoned and martyred in the early 4th century CE by Emperor Maxentius, who had her beheaded.

Saint Catherine is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and was extremely popular in the late Middle Ages as a helper in need and patron saint.

The reconstructable height of the individual statuettes from the depot is usually eight centimeters, according to Die Zeit. The 11-centimeter-high statuette of Saint Catherine thus stands out among the findings.

Eberhard Völker, the scientific project leader of the excavation, described the find as unique due to its quantity and the preserved details, according to the Berliner Zeitung. The State Office for the Preservation of Monuments considers the finds at Molkenmarkt to be a rarity.

The excavation team plans to continue their work at Molkenmarkt until the end of 2025, searching for further traces of Berlin's history, as reported by Die Welt.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq