UNDER-REPORTED HISTORY

Vienna, April 14 - 1970
Archaeologists working beneath an Austrian cathedral have uncovered an anomalous medieval wooden tablet, meticulously preserved in the dry confines of an ossuary, that is already prompting quiet debate among historians of art and religion. The carved panel, tentatively dated to the late 13th century, depicts a fortified castle rising above a moat occupied not by water but by a regimented assembly of muscular, bare-chested men rendered with striking anatomical precision.

Church officials say the tablet was stored alongside human remains, suggesting intentional preservation rather than concealment, though its purpose remains unclear. Experts from the University of Vienna speculate it may represent a symbolic allegory of strength, protection, or moral fortitude, while conceding that its imagery sits uneasily with conventional medieval iconography. The tablet has been removed for conservation and study and will be displayed later this year at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where, curators say, it is likely to raise more questions than it answers.