During the excavations of an early Christian church in the Austrian municipality of Irschen, archaeologists have discovered a unique find – a round ivory casket about 1,500 years old. The relic, decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments, was hidden in a marble altar, writes MK with reference to the Daily Mail.
The casket depicts scenes of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, as well as images of saints and, presumably, the Ascension of Christ. Such objects of early Christianity are extremely rare – about 40 such finds are known in the world, and the last one was made about a century ago.
The church where the casket was discovered was presumably built on the site of a pagan sanctuary after the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The artifact itself was found broken into several parts, but, apparently, it was a solid structure held together by metal elements. Scientists believe that the box was not made in Austria, but brought from a major cultural center, perhaps Alexandria, Ravenna or Aquileia.
The discovery aroused great interest among researchers. It remains unclear why such a valuable object was not removed from the church before its loss. Some details on the casket are missing, which may indicate an attempt to remove it. The relic is currently under further study.