Archaeologists have discovered a 5th or 6th century church next to a Sassanian fort in the Kurdish Kazhaw region of Iraqi Kurdistan. This research study was conducted by researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg; Their findings provide strong evidence of the existence of religious pluralism during the fifth and sixth centuries AD, as indicated by a study conducted at Goethe University in Frankfurt.Based on the proximity of a site dedicated to Christian worship to a Zoroastrian temple, previous historians have suggested that Christians and Zoroastrians were at loggerheads throughout this period. The excavation site uncovered three nacelle columns from a single church and multiple pottery shards bearing a Maltese cross, giving us an idea of how different communities coexisted in rural Mesopotamia during the Sasanian period.
A church was found next to the Zoroastrian worship site
In 2015, the archaeological site of Kurdi Kazhaw was found; It includes a large pre-defined building complex. Researchers have found that the stone columns and brick floors correspond to the building styles that were used when developing liturgy in early Christianity. The site’s location (located next to a Sasanian citadel) represents an area where early Christians, who were practitioners of the Persian Zoroastrian religion, coexisted with other religions.
As noted in a study conducted at Goethe University Frankfurt, this archaeological find provides another example of the recent focus in academia on looking at rural settlements that provided the social and cultural bases for economic prosperity, rather than focusing solely on imperial centers.
Evidence of Christian liturgical architecture
The research team concluded that the remains of the structure would be identified as a church based on the identified archaeological features.
Excavations revealed five square columns made of quarried stone, only partially covered with white plaster; Taken together with an architectural plan indicating a three-nave style, these features indicate strong evidence of early Christian church design from northern Syria and Mesopotamia.
Other evidence indicating that religious worship took place at this site is the discovery of a piece of pottery decorated with a Maltese cross. This provides conclusive evidence of Christian liturgical activity at this site during the period marked by the discovery of the Five Pillars. The combination of material culture identified may be an indication that this site served as an active site of Christian worship.
Tracing the religious and social development of Kurdish Kazhaw
This study is part of a larger project examining rural communities in the Shahrazur Plain. The researchers aim to develop a picture of the daily life of workers, farmers and followers outside the royal capitals. The Sasanian church and citadel were later built by an Islamic burial site, illustrating the development of culture and religion throughout the northern Iraq region over thousands of years.
Future research will include archaeological measurement (botanical anthropology and forensics) in order to learn about the health, nutrition and basic infrastructure of the people who lived there.