"The intact bronze reliquary cross dates to between the 9th and the 11th centuries. It consists of two covers riveted together permanently. There is no hinge or mechanism to open and close it like a locket. The exterior is decorated with circumpunct (circled dot) and parallel line designs. Reliquaries held the remains of saints or other sacred artifacts (a piece of the True Cross, a fragment of the veil of Veronica, etc.) and were worn or carried as devotional objects."
"This one has a suspension mount at the top that suggests it was worn as a necklace. When archaeologists peered inside through a gap, they saw a small piece of a shroud-like textile on top. That fabric could be the relic or it could be covering something else. Lystra has a very ancient connection to Christianity. In Acts of the Apostles 14:6-18 , Paul and Barnabas heal a paralyzed man and are hailed as Hermes and Zeus incarnate."
An intact sealed bronze reliquary cross dating from the 9th–11th centuries was unearthed at ancient Lystra (modern Konya, central Turkey). The two-piece cross is permanently riveted closed, lacks a hinge, and is being cleaned and conserved in its original state to prevent damage. The exterior features circumpunct and parallel-line decoration and a suspension mount indicating it was worn as a necklace. When examined through a gap, a small piece of shroud-like textile was visible inside. The excavation around a church uncovered graves, metal crosses, jewelry, and mostly damaged reliquaries; a nearby late-antique basilica was previously found.
Read at www.thehistoryblog.com
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