Fascinating.

 A fragment with Christian symbols etched across it(Photo: The Vindolanda Trust)

A "unique" discovery at Hadrian's Wall is offering a tantalising glimpse into early Christianity in Britain.

Archaeologists found "incredibly rare" fragments of a chalice buried in the rubble of a former 6th century church at Vindolanda, a ruined Roman fort that lies just south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The 14 fragments date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, and form the only surviving partial chalice from this period in Britain. 

The find is in "very poor condition" as a result of being close to the surface of the ground. Despite this, the Vindolanda Trust said the etchings on the surface of the fragments make the chalice "one of the most important of its type to come from early Christianity in Western Europe". Christian Today.