Medieval artifacts discovered in Szigliget church ruins

Archaeologists have unearthed significant medieval artifacts during excavations at the ruins of the Avas church in Szigliget, Hungary. The discovery occurred during the final stages of a nine-month project related to the development of the Tóti Lengyel Gáspár Visitor Center.

Among the finds are fragments of a gilded liturgical cross and pieces of chainmail armor. While the iron pieces initially appeared to be mere rust, experts identified them as remnants of chainmail, a rare find within a church sacristy. The most notable discovery was a set of green copper plates that, upon cleaning, revealed gilding and fine engravings depicting the silhouette of the crucified Jesus.

Research indicates the cross originated from Limoges, France, a city renowned in the Middle Ages for producing enamel-decorated metalwork. Although the original enamel figures have been lost, the remaining fragments are well-preserved enough to allow for a near-complete reconstruction of the 13th-century artifact.