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A Unique 1,500-Year-Old Vessel Depicting Daniel’s Four Beasts Discovered at Pisidian Antioch
A 1,500-year-old liturgical vessel discovered at Pisidian Antioch carries a scene that archaeologists say has no known parallel in Christian art: Daniel shown together with all four beasts from his biblical vision. The two-handled vessel dates to the 6th century AD and was uncovered during excavations in the ancient city’s Christian complex in Yalvaç, southwestern…
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Polychrome Late Antique Mosaic and Christian Monogram Unearthed in Sicily
Archaeologists working in Agrigento, Sicily, have uncovered a polychrome geometric mosaic and a group of objects linked to the city’s early Christian community. The discoveries were made during the 11th excavation campaign in the Hellenistic-Roman Quarter of ancient Agrigentum, close to a large Roman bath complex. The excavated building remained in use for nearly eight…
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15 Newly Discovered Churches at Binbir Kilise Suggest Lost Byzantine Pilgrimage Center in Anatolia
A new wave of archaeological discoveries in central Turkey is reshaping what we know about one of Anatolia’s most enigmatic sacred landscapes. In the volcanic highlands of Karadağ, north of Karaman, researchers have identified at least 15 previously undocumented churches and chapels within the historic Binbir Kilise region. The findings point to something far more…
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Christmas Liturgy Held at the World’s Oldest Cave Church in Antakya
A Christmas liturgy was held at Saint Pierre Church, a site revered in Christian tradition as the world’s oldest cave church. Set into the rocky slopes near Habib-i Neccar Mountain, the ancient sanctuary once again hosted prayers and hymns, linking a present-day religious ceremony with the earliest chapters of Christian history. The liturgy was led…
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One of the World’s Oldest Churches Reopens in Aqaba, Dating Back to Around 290 AD
Jordan’s Red Sea port city of Aqaba has brought one of early Christianity’s rarest monuments back into public view. The Aqaba Archaeological Church, dated to around 290 AD, has officially reopened following a comprehensive restoration, reaffirming its place among the earliest known Christian churches in the world. A Church Built Before Christianity Was Legal What…
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Pope Leo XIV Declares Christian Archaeology Essential for Understanding the Future of the Church
Pope Leo XIV has published a landmark Apostolic Letter marking the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, asserting that Christian archaeology is indispensable for understanding both the origins and the future direction of the Church. The document, released on Thursday, positions archaeology not as a specialist pursuit but as a field “open to…
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1,500-Year-Old Greek Mosaic Discovered Beneath Urfa Castle Reveals Names of Early Byzantine Clergy
In the shadow of Urfa Castle, overlooking the sacred pools of Balıklıgöl in southeastern Türkiye, archaeologists have uncovered a 1,500-year-old mosaic floor bearing a Greek inscription and intricate ornamental designs. The find, dating to the late 5th century CE, sheds new light on the religious landscape of ancient Edessa—one of the earliest centers of Christianity…
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1,300-Year-Old Communion Bread Unearthed in Karaman: A Loaf for the “Farmer Christ”
Buried beneath centuries of Anatolian soil, five loaves of bread have reemerged from the early Byzantine world — still marked by the faith and labor of those who baked them. Archaeologists working in Topraktepe (ancient Eirenepolis), in Türkiye’s Karaman province, have uncovered 1,300-year-old charred barley loaves, one of which bears a Greek inscription reading “With…