18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Earliest Evidence of Christianity on Bulgarian Territory Found in Roman city of Deultum

A silver amulet was discovered during excavations of the Deultum-Debelt National Archaeological Reserve, near the village of Debelt in the southeastern Sredets Municipality, in Bulgaria. This recent discovery is the oldest evidence of Christianity on Bulgarian lands.

Deultum was the only colony of free Roman citizens on the territory of today’s Bulgarian lands.

Following the Roman commander Lucius’ conquest of the Southern Black Sea Coast in 72 BC, Emperor Vespasian established the colony of Deultum to the east of the Thracian settlement of Develt or Debelt. On the site of Deultum, there existed an old Thracian settlement prior to the start of the new era. Veterans of the VIII Augustus Legion settled there in the 70s of the first century, during the reign of Roman Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian.

The Deultum over the next three centuries the town became one of the richest in the surrounding area. The strategic location of Deultum, impressive town planning, and noble inhabitants earned it the nickname Little Rome in Thrace.

Khan Krum took Develt (Deultum) in 812 and drove its people north of the Danube. The town thus became wholly Bulgarian. Historians think that this region has a close connection to Bulgaria’s 864 Christian conversion.

Unearthed during summer excavations in 2023, a silver amulet has garnered attention for its significance. After the restoration and analysis of its inscription, it can now be seen in the museum of the reserve, museum curator Dora Todorova told to BTA.

Facebook: National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt
Photo: Facebook: National Archaeological Reserve Deultum – Debelt

Initially thought to be a silver ingot, it was later revealed to be an amulet inscribed with the names of archangels Gabriel and Michael, along with the Guardian Christ, following restoration efforts by Silvia Borisova.

“Early Christians were careful not to be recognized and used various symbols to refer to Christ. In this case, the amulet is placed in a grave, near the head of the person buried in it, away from people’s eyes,” explained Todorova. The name of Christ is written on it but the first letter is rotated at 45% and forms the shape of a cross. This feature is known in some very early Christian inscriptions, the curator said.

The interpretation and dating of the amulet were conducted by renowned epigrapher Ch. Assistant Dr. Nikolay Sharankov, in collaboration with the reserve’s team for reading and publishing inscriptions unearthed during excavations.

According to Krasimira Kostova, director of the National Archaeological Reserve ” Deultum” – Debelt, the artifact dates back to the late second or early third century AD, marking a significant milestone in the region’s Christian history.

In his analysis featured in the specialized publication Arheologia Bulgaria, Dr. Sharankov presents a compelling argument for dating the inscription as +ΡЄICTOC with ЄI instead of I. He posits that the inclusion of the cross and the naming of only Archangels Gabriel and Michael strongly suggest the amulet’s connection to a Christian community. Moreover, Sharankov asserts that its dating establishes it as the oldest Christian artifact in Bulgaria, marking the earliest mention of Christ in the region.

According to him, the discovery of such an early Christian monument in Deultum of all places is not unexpected, because the Roman colony was the first settlement known to have had a proven Christian community and a bishop.

Cover Photo: Ancient Bulgaria

Related Articles

Archaeologists find the earliest evidence Maya sacred calendar in the Guatemalan pyramid

14 April 2022

14 April 2022

Archaeologists identified two plaster fragments depicting a date that the Maya civilization called ‘7 deer’ and was part of the...

A basement discovered on the premises of the ruins of Hitoyoshi Castle in Japan could be a Jewish bathing facility!

7 December 2022

7 December 2022

Experts are still indecisive about why there was a bathing area in the basement which was discovered on the site...

Hidden past of Ani ruins in eastern Turkey to be uncovered by excavations

31 May 2021

31 May 2021

Archaeological excavations will reveal the historical mystery behind the ruins of Ani on the present-day Turkey-Armenia border. The Ani archaeological...

9th-Century Slave-Built Large-Scale Agricultural System Discovered in Southern Iraq

3 June 2025

3 June 2025

A recent archaeological study has unveiled compelling evidence of a vast agricultural infrastructure in southern Iraq, believed to have been...

Mystery ax discovered off the coast of Arendal of Norway

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

Researchers have discovered a find that could be a first for Norwegian archeology. A hollow ax, which researchers believe dates...

The Rock Tombs Found by Chance in the Al-Hamidiyah Necropolis

12 May 2021

12 May 2021

A series of rock tombs carved into the slope of a mountain have been discovered in the Al-Hamidiyah necropolis on...

Assyrian Art at Getty Villa

22 June 2021

22 June 2021

The Getty Villa in Malibu, California’s arts complex is showcasing superbly-restored gypsum reliefs from the Assyrian Empire’s palaces for its...

A new study reveals, Anglo-Saxon Kings were generally vegetarian, but peasants treated them to huge meat feasts

22 April 2022

22 April 2022

Very few people in England ate large amounts of meat before the Vikings settled, and there is no evidence that...

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site, believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery, near the Arctic Circle

4 December 2023

4 December 2023

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery just 50 miles (80 kilometers)...

Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Greek Marble Altar in Western Mediterranean at Tartessian Site in Spain

7 July 2025

7 July 2025

The discovery of the Oldest Greek Marble Altar in the Western Mediterranean offers unprecedented insight into Tartessian culture and its...

Restored walls collapse in 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys, concerns mount over further damage

12 May 2024

12 May 2024

Recently, a portion of the restored walls of 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys (“City of Belqeys”), a historical city made of mudbricks...

Ukrainian Stonehenge

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

It has almost become a tradition to compare the structures surrounded by stones to the Stonehenge monument. This ancient cemetery,...

‘Australia’s silk road’: the quarries of Mithaka Country dating back 2100 years

4 April 2022

4 April 2022

In Queensland’s remote Channel Country of red dirt and gibber rock, traditional owners and archaeologists have unearthed what researchers have...

Treasure Hunters’ permission given to raise mystery canister in hunt for lost Nazi Gold

5 August 2022

5 August 2022

Treasure hunters claim they have permission to lift a buried canister that they believe may hold the loot next month...

Archaeologists discover bones of a woman who lived 14,000 years ago at a site in The Iberian Peninsula

13 August 2021

13 August 2021

Archaeologists have discovered the bones of a lady who lived 14,000 years ago, the earliest traces of a modern burial...