Sealed Medieval Reliquary Cross Not To Be Opened Under Any Circumstances

A conservator applies delicate conservation work to the intact, permanently sealed bronze reliquary cross found at Lystra.

January

/ 2026

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A medieval bronze reliquary cross discovered in central Turkey has been restored, but what’s drawing the most attention is what researchers won’t do next. Found intact, still riveted shut, and apparently never meant to be opened, the cross offers a rare snapshot of medieval Christian practice without the usual damage and disturbance that come with time and looting.

A Rare Sealed Find at Lystra in Konya

According to the Anadolu Agency, the cross was uncovered during excavations at the ancient city of Lystra, in the Meram district of Konya Province, at a church-area burial zone - an important context, because reliquary crosses were often connected to devotion, burial, and personal protection. Archaeologists date the artifact to roughly the 9th–11th centuries.

Lystra also carries special weight in Christian history as a place visited by St. Paul, making finds connected to medieval faith practices especially resonant at the site. That historical association adds a wider narrative backdrop, even if the cross itself post-dates Paul by many centuries.

The excavation is being led by Associate Professor Ilker Mete Mimiroğlu of Necmettin Erbakan University, with support from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and local municipalities

Riveted Shut, and Staying that Way

Most reliquary crosses are found broken, opened, or separated, which strips away key information about how they were made and used. This one is different: it’s a two-part cross permanently sealed with a riveting technique, decorated with geometric motifs, and recovered intact.

Mimiroğlu said the team has found more than one reliquary at Lystra, but “almost all were broken,” making this sealed example particularly exciting.

Crucially, conservators have decided not to open it. Because the object appears to have no opening-and-closing mechanism, forcing it apart could damage it irreversibly and potentially destroy traces of whatever it once held reports Türkiye Today.

Excavations at the basilica building in Lystra

Excavations at a curch building in Lystra. (İHA)

A Glimpse Through a Gap

Even though the cross remains closed, researchers were able to look through a small gap. That limited inspection did not clearly reveal anything inside, though a “shroud-like” piece of fabric was reportedly visible near the top.

Reliquary crosses could carry small relics or other sacred material, and their power was as much symbolic as physical.

In this case, the sealed construction itself may be the point. If it was riveted shut at manufacture, it suggests the object’s contents (if any) were not intended for handling or replacement, setting it apart from reliquaries designed to be opened for ritual display, notes Türkiye Today.

Conservation, context, and why “sealed” is the headline

The restoration work focused on careful cleaning and preservation, stabilizing the bronze rather than “revealing” what’s inside. That conservative approach is increasingly standard in archaeology when opening an artifact could destroy evidence, especially when the item is unique for being intact.

Because the cross was found in a burial zone, it also raises questions about medieval devotional life in the region: was it worn by an individual and buried with them, placed as a grave offering, or connected to a specific religious community around the church? For now, the excavation context and future reporting from the site may provide the best answers without ever prying the object open.

Top image: A conservator applies delicate conservation work to the intact, permanently sealed bronze reliquary cross found at Lystra. Source: Anadolu Agency

By Gary Manners