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Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the University of Münster have discovered the remains of a previously unknown early Christian church in the ancient city of Artaxata. The find consists of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions. The team excavated parts of the church and studied it using geophysical methods.

"The 4th century building is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country—sensational evidence for early Christianity in Armenia," remarked Professor Achim Lichtenberger of the University of Münster.

"Octagonal churches were unknown here until now, but we are very familiar with them from the Eastern Mediterranean region, where they first appeared in the 4th century AD," added Dr. Mkrtich H. Zardaryan of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Typologically, the find corresponds to early Christian memorial buildings. In the cross-shaped extensions, the researchers discovered the remains of wooden platforms, which were radiocarbon dated to the mid-4th century AD.

The octagonal building, around 30 meters in diameter, had a simple mortar floor and terracotta tiles. Finds of marble indicate that it was lavishly decorated with this material imported from the Mediterranean. The German-Armenian team has been in Armenia since September. They will continue their excavations and hope to make new discoveries, including the question of to whom the church was dedicated.

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