DOBROMIRTSI, BULGARIA—A small medieval reliquary has been discovered during a preliminary survey of the ruins of a medieval monastery near Bulgaria’s border with Greece, reports Archaeology in Bulgaria. Archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov of the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia discovered the artifact, which may have contained relics attributed to a Christian saint. He also found the arm of a bronze cross decorated with the image of the Virgin Mary, and believes both objects date to to around the eleventh century A.D. Ovcharov was also able to confirm reports of looting at the site when he identified freshly dug pits near the monastery’s surviving walls. He plans to begin scientific excavations at the site in May. To read in-depth about the archaeology of medieval churches in England, go to “Writing on the Church Wall.”
