Archaeologists uncover fourth-century church in Armenia’s ancient capital
A preliminary reconstruction shows the late antique church of Artaxata. Courtesy Armenian-German Artaxata Project.
Excavators with the University of Münster and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia have uncovered the oldest church ever discovered in Armenia. Consisting of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions, the church serves as a physical reminder that Armenia was the first ancient kingdom to officially adopt Christianity in 301 CE.
Armenia’s Ancient Church
The church was discovered at the site of Artaxata, the ancient capital city of Armenia. With its cruciform structure, the church closely corresponds to early Christian memorial buildings, meaning that it was likely dedicated to the memory of a saint whose identity remains unknown. Around 100 feet in diameter, the building consisted of a simple mortar floor covered in terracotta tiles. However, marble throughout the church—likely brought from the Mediterranean—indicates that it was lavishly decorated. The remains of wooden platforms discovered in the cruciform extensions were radiocarbon dated to the mid-fourth century, only a few decades after Armenia converted to Christianity.
“The fourth century building is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country—sensational evidence for early Christianity in Armenia,” remarked 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 fourth century,” added Mkrtich H. Zardaryan of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
According to legend, Armenia became the first Christian kingdom when Gregory the Illuminator converted the Armenian king Tiridates III in 301 CE, over a decade before Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire.
