Ancient Christians lived alongside followers of mysterious faith 1,500 years ago, archaeologists say

Archaeologists precocious uncovered grounds suggesting that Christians co-existed with a now-little-known religion successful modern-day Iraq. 

The discovery, announced by Goethe University Frankfurt successful Germany, was made nationalist successful December.

The excavations began successful the precocious summertime of 2025. It focused connected a gathering analyzable astatine the Gird-î Kazhaw tract successful the Kurdistan portion of Iraq, built astir 500 A.D.

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Archaeologists were unsure what intent the analyzable had successful past days — until they recovered 5 quadrate pillars that "suggested that it mightiness beryllium a church," the assemblage merchandise said.

"Geophysical investigations had revealed much walls underground, truthful that this ‘church’ was initially believed to beryllium portion of a larger monastery," the merchandise besides noted. 

An excavation tract linked to aboriginal Christian worship is shown alongside a humanities depiction of Prophet Zoroaster, the laminitis of Zoroastrianism. (Alexander Tamm, Dirk Wicke; Culture Club/Getty Images)

Archaeologists besides recovered further chromatic pillars "which constituent to the beingness of possibly a three-nave structure," on with the remains of a Christian gathering place. 

Pottery with a Maltese transverse was besides recovered there.

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The site's proximity to a adjacent Sasanian fortification is peculiarly significant, researchers said, arsenic it whitethorn bespeak that Christians and Zoroastrians lived broadside by broadside successful the region.

"Religious diverseness was common."

The Zoroastrians were subjects of the Sasanian Empire, a large Persian empire that ruled from astir 224 A.D. to 651 A.D. 

The authorities religion was Zoroastrianism, and the autumn of the empire successful the 7th period gave mode to Islamization successful modern-day Iraq and Iran. 

Researchers judge the analyzable dates to astir 500 A.D. and whitethorn person functioned arsenic a Christian gathering place. (Alexander Tamm, Dirk Wicke)

There are immoderate 100,000 Zoroastrians practicing the religion today.

The impervious of Zoroastrians astatine the tract is "more indirect," said Alexander Tamm, a prof astatine Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg. He co-led the excavation.

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"There was besides a tiny fortress that was successful usage astatine the aforesaid time," said Tamm. "So far, we person not recovered immoderate artifacts determination that would bespeak a Christian presence."

He added, "If 1 thinks this done further and assumes that a tiny subject portion whitethorn person been stationed determination … these individuals were astir apt Zoroastrians."

"Zoroastrianism includes aggregate deities, whereas Christianity, of course, has lone 1 God."

It's not quality that these 2 religions had intermingled successful bluish Iraq, Tamm said.

"Religious diverseness was common," the archaeologist noted.

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"One should besides not hide that Muslims and Christians aboriginal coexisted successful this portion arsenic good — and inactive bash today."

For those unfamiliar with Zoroastrianism, Tamm said it differs markedly from Christianity.

Excavators uncovered pottery marked with a Maltese cross, shown astatine close — strengthening grounds of an aboriginal Christian presence. (Alexander Tamm, Dirk Wicke)

"Zoroastrianism includes aggregate deities, whereas Christianity, of course, has lone 1 God," helium said. 

Tamm besides cited "significant differences" successful customs, peculiarly successful burials. Zoroastrians would hide their dormant successful rock-cut niches oregon vessels to forestall nonstop interaction with the earth.

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"For Zoroastrians, the world is considered pure, truthful the dormant could not simply beryllium buried successful the ground, arsenic that would person defiled the earth," helium said.

"Christians, however, did precisely that: They buried their dormant successful the ground. This could surely person been perceived arsenic a large affront to Zoroastrians."

"We truly had precise fewer indications of what to expect…we had assumed we mightiness uncover a tiny village."

Despite that tension, Tamm pointed to grounds of radical "adapting to 1 another, to immoderate extent."

He said, "They apt respected each other’s customs, adjacent erstwhile those practices partially contradicted their ain spiritual teachings."

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Tamm added that it was "quite surprising" to find that the tract itself dated to the Sasanian period, peculiarly fixed the size of the buildings uncovered.

"We truly had precise fewer indications of what to expect," the adept said. "We had assumed we mightiness uncover a tiny village."

"There is inactive a large woody near to excavate," said a prof and co-leader of the excavation. (Alexander Tamm, Dirk Wicke)

Tamm concluded that overmuch astir the past of Christianity successful Iraq and Iran remains unknown.

"There is inactive a large woody near to excavate," helium said.

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"Only caller excavations tin assistance to reconstruct this information… The unit of the Sulaymaniyah Antiquities Authority and our excavation workers are of the Islamic religion — but for them, arsenic for us, archaeology and the pursuit of cognition are the priority."