Archaeologists recently discovered what is believed to be one of the oldest Christian churches in the world.
The University of Münster announced the discovery of the 4th century church in a press release on October 11th. The German university collaborated with archaeologists from the Armenian National Academy of Sciences to discover the ancient site.
The remains of an ancient Christian building have been discovered at the Artaxata site on the Ararat Plain. Excavators have been digging there since 2018, but no remains were discovered until recently.
“The find consisted of an octagonal building with a cross-shaped extension,” explained the University of Münster. “The team excavated part of the church and studied it using geophysical methods.”
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Archaeologists have created an image that recreates what the ancient church looked like. (Armenian-German Artaxata Project)
“Typologically, this find corresponds to an early Christian monument,” the press release continued. “Researchers found the remains of a wooden pedestal in the cross-shaped extension, which was radiocarbon dated to the mid-4th century AD.”
The oldest Christian church buildings date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. The floor of the octagonal church at Artaxata was made of mortar and terra cotta tiles and was approximately 100 feet in diameter.
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Excavators believe that this ancient site is the oldest Christian church site ever discovered in Armenia. (Armenian-German Artaxata Project)
Experts said there were also some marble fragments imported from the Mediterranean, indicating that the church was “richly decorated.”
“The fourth-century building is the oldest archaeologically recorded church in the country and is sensational evidence of early Christianity in Armenia,” Professor Achim Lichtenberger of the University of Münster said in a statement.
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An image of the annex of the church where the wooden rostrum was located. (Armenian-German Artaxata Project)
This discovery is appropriate for Armenia, which the University of Münster claims is the first Christian nation to be founded.
“According to legend, Gregory the Illuminator converted the Armenian king Tiridates III to Christianity at Artaxata in 301 AD, making Armenia the first Christian nation in the world,” the school explained.
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The church was discovered in rural Armenia. (Armenian-German Artaxata Project)
“The medieval monastery of Khor Virap, just a stone's throw from the newly discovered church, is a reminder of this tradition. Artaxata served as the capital of the Armenian kingdom ruled by the Artaxiads and the Arsacids. ” the press release added. . “The city developed into an important metropolis during the Hellenistic period and was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia for almost six centuries.”
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