Archaeologists discover one of the world's oldest churches in Armenia

A church dating back to the 4th century was just discovered in Armenia.

A group of archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the University of Münster have discovered the remains of a church, which is now the oldest structure of its kind in Armenia and the oldest in the world.

According to a report by CBS News, the discovery happened during the excavations of the larger Armenian-German Artaxata Project, an initiative started in 2018 to study the area.

The remains, consisting of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions, were found in Artaxata, a place known to be a "thriving metropolis and commercial center."

"The building, which dates back to the 4th century, is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country — a sensational testimony to early Christianity in Armenia," Achim Lichtenberger, a professor at the University of Münster who works on the archaeology project in Artaxata, said the statement.

A contribution to Armenia's history

Dr. Mkrtich H. Zardaryan of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia added that the discovery, which began in September, can be a great contribution to understanding something new about Armenia's history.

He described the shape of the church as an octagon, and four of its sides have oblong rooms that stick out.

He also said that it is the first triangular church known to exist in Armenia and that churches with that shape are common in the eastern Mediterranean and can be as old as the 4th century.

"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."

Moreover, the University of Münster underscored that the ancient church resembled early Christian memorial buildings, which are 100 feet across and originally had mortar flooring, created mostly from sand and cement.

The discovered church also features a simple mortar floor and terracotta tiles.

Ultimately, the research is ongoing as they hope to "determine to whom the church was dedicated.

"We are eager to continue our exploration and to better understand the role this church played in early Christian Armenia," said Lichtenberger.