Archaeologists in Oderzo, Italy, have unearthed the remains of what is believed to be the city's earliest Christian church. The discovery was announced by the Archaeological Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Venice and the Provinces of Belluno, Padua and Treviso.
The church dates to between the fourth and fifth centuries A.D., a period when Christianity was becoming the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. At the time, Oderzo was known as Opitergium.
The excavation, which began in November as part of preparations for a residential redevelopment project, revealed intricate polychrome mosaic floors and human burials alongside the foundation walls.
The 1,600-year-old building is described as a large rectangular church, measuring approximately 75 feet wide and at least 98 feet long, with a central aisle and two side aisles. Officials stated that the foundations, up to 4 feet thick, are constructed from brick bonded with mortar and rest on wooden piles, a technique used in antiquity for stability.
Four burials containing the remains of seven individuals were also found at the site. Anthropologists are currently studying these remains to gain further information about the cemetery and those interred there.
While the exact period of the church's abandonment is not yet determined, evidence suggests it was later stripped of building materials and destroyed during the Middle Ages. The eastern end of the church has not yet been fully excavated, indicating the complex may be larger than currently understood.
Archaeologists have called the discovery "exceptionally significant," stating it "opens a new chapter in the history of ancient Opitergium during the Late Roman and Early Medieval periods."
This find follows other recent archaeological discoveries in Italy, including a hidden chamber beneath Hadrian’s Villa and an ancient sanctuary uncovered during highway construction.