Tyne immemorial: the bronze knight found in a northern river

This bronze knight was found in the river Tyne. He rides to war or a tourmament, armour covering his body, his horse massive and powerful enough to bear the weight of a metal-enclosed man. This is how we imagine the middle ages: knights in armour. The cult of chivalry was hugely popular and glamorous. Yet this figure of a knight is actually a jug called an aquamanile that rich people used to wash their hands when they were eating. Medieval Britons ate with their fingers, and it got messy Illustration: British Museum