An encolpion cross came to light during archaeological investigations of the ancient Almus fortress in Bulgaria's town of Lom situated on the Danube River. The cross is about 1,100 years old and was made during the reign of Tsar Simeon the Great (from 893 to 927), according to the head of the excavations Dr. Vladislav Zhivkov from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the BAS.
This type of crosses appeared in late Antiquity - around the 5th century AD. They were hollow in the middle. Relics of saints or pieces of the holy cross were placed in them, it was believed that in this way they guarded the bearer of the cross, says Dr. Vladislav Zhivkov, quoted by BTA.
The discovered encolpion on the territory of the Almus fortress is in a stratum covered by a former fire. It will be restored in a laboratory, and only then will it become clear whether it still keeps fragments of a saint's relics inside. If such are found, they will be handed over to an Orthodox church in Lom.
Similar crosses have been found near the village of Yakimovo, close to Lom, as well as in the then capital of the first Bulgarian state, Veliki Preslav. The former capital is also the likely place where the two crosses from Lom and Yakimovo were made, scientists assume.
Just days ago, archaeologists uncovered part of the complex underground infrastructure that once served the Roman baths of Ratiaria - one of the most important ancient cities in Bulgaria’s northwest. Founded in the 1st century in the area of..
In the world of the Thracians, who had no written language, the most important messages were conveyed through art. The Letnitsa Treasure is precisely such a message — about power, beliefs, and the path to wisdom . This unique discovery, dated between..
On November 21, the day of the Presentation of Virgin Mary (or the Entry of the most Holy Theotokos into the Temple), the Orthodox Bulgarians also celebrate the Day of the Christian Family and the Learning Youth. The holiday was established by the..
Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy