[size=85:r4baxxsk]Sofia Echo

Archaeology: Sixth-century cross reliquary found at Bulgaria's Perperikon

A hermetically-sealed cross that also served as a reliquary, said to date from the fifth to the sixth century CE, has been found at Bulgaria’s ancient holy site of Perperikon.

The cross was reported by Bulgarian National Television to be in good condition. The find was decorated on the outside with early Christian symbols.

It was shown to journalists at a presentation at the Kurdjali Museum by representatives of the archaeological team examining the ancient city.

The contents of the cross-reliquary would be established only after examination by specialists at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences headquarters in the capital city Sofia.

Similar reliquaries were used to keep items purported to be fragments of the relics of saints, the blood of Jesus, pieces of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and more rarely, hair or tears from Mary, the mother of Jesus, according to the Bulgarian National Television report.

Archaeologist Professor Nikolai Ovcharov said that an amulet said to have contained hair from Mary and that was worn by ninth-century emperor Charlemagne was kept in a cathedral in Reims.

Recent finds at Perperikon have reinforced conclusions that while the site dates back to ancient times and religious faiths, it was also used by Christians as a place of worship.