Austrian Archaeologists Discover Ancient Relic Box in Irschen Church
A group of Austrian archaeologists has discovered a relic box made of elephant bone in an early Christian church in Irschen, as reported by Arkeonews.
Excavations of the ancient settlement on a hill in the southern part of Austria have been carried out by archaeologists from Innsbruck since 2016. In 2022, they found a hidden reliquary in a previously unknown church, with an ancient box made of elephant bone adorned with Christian symbols.
The relic, measuring 20×30 cm, was found by archaeologists under the guidance of Gerald Grabherr on August 4, 2022, in a side chapel beneath the altar. Despite the artifact losing its integrity, it has been identified as the remains of a round container known as a «pyx.» According to available data, modern science knows of about 40 such elephant bone boxes, with the last similar artifact being found approximately 100 years ago. The discovery of the pyx in Austria marks the first in the country’s history, with most preserved pyxes being in museums or cathedral treasuries.
According to Ulrike Techterle, head of the restoration workshop, elephant bone absorbs moisture, which can lead to its softening. Over the past two years, fragments of the box have been preserved for scientific analysis. Restoration of the pyx to its original state proved impossible due to deformations in large parts, so scientists decided to carry out a 3D reconstruction to create a three-dimensional model of the box.
