1500-Year-Old 'Unique' Christian Artifact Made From Ivory Discovered, Was Used to Carry Holy Relics

Archeologists have recently uncovered a unique Christian artifact believed to be around 1,500 years old in Austria. The artifact was discovered in Irschen and is undergoing further analysis, Newsweek reported. The finding was spotted in a fragmented state by researchers, who speculate that the pieces formed a type of round container known as "pyx" by historians. Researchers found the reliquary during excavations at a 5th-6th century church site. 

Excavations in the site have been ongoing since 2016, Archaeology Magazine reported. They are being conducted by the University of Innsbruck’s archaeological team. To this date, the group has uncovered the remains of several dwellings, two Christian churches, a cistern, and numerous personal belongings of the settlement’s former inhabitants, as part of their project.

The team's most significant discovery in this excavation happened in August 2022, when they were looking through an early Christian church at the site, Archaeology Magazine reported. Researchers discovered a marble shrine measuring approximately 20 by 30 centimeters below one of the altars in the church. The shrine contained within itself the fragmented remains of what experts believe to be an ivory reliquary box, also known as a pyx. 

Pyxes are round containers that were used to carry holy relics or Communion wafers in the Christian tradition, Archaeology Magazine reported. Ancient pyxes are very hard to find for archeologists, which makes this particular 'pyx' discovery crucial.

"We know of around 40 ivory boxes of this kind worldwide, and the last time one of these was found during excavations was around 100 years ago," said Gerald Grabherr, the project leader from the University of Innsbruck’s archeological team. "Typically, such artifacts are preserved in cathedral treasuries or museums, making the find at Irschen unique as it was discovered in its original archaeological context."

The heavily fragmented pyx pieces found in Irschen featured multiple biblical scenes, as per the researchers. One section was covered with carvings focussing on a mountain and a man. The man appeared to be turning his gaze away, while a hand was extending from the heavens above him.

"This is the typical depiction of the handing over of the laws to Moses on Mount Sinai, the beginning of the covenant between God and man from the Old Testament," Grabherr explained. 

Another piece focussed on a man riding a chariot with two horses, Archaeology Magazine reported. In this one, the heaven's hand came from the cloud, which could be interpreted as the ascension of Christ. "The depiction of the Ascension of Christ with a so-called biga, a two-horse chariot, is very special and previously unknown," added Grabherr.

The artifact's condition surprised the researchers. Ulrike Töchterle, head of the restoration workshop at Innsbruck stated that the pieces were composed of ivory, which usually don't sustain well in the ground, because of the available moisture. In this case, the pieces managed to persevere because the high humidity facilitated a prolonged and careful drying process, which prevented dissolution. In the last two years, experts have been carefully analyzing the ivory pieces in a suitable environment, to avoid further damage.