Ancient Christians lived alongside followers of mysterious faith 1,500 years ago, archaeologists say

Archaeologists in Iraq recently uncovered evidence suggesting that Christians co-existed with a now-little-known religion. 

The discovery, announced by Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, was made public in December.

The excavations began in the late summer of 2025. They focused on a building complex at the Gird-î Kazhaw site in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, built around 500 A.D.

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Archaeologists were unsure what purpose the complex had in ancient days - until they found five square pillars that "suggested that it might be a church," the university release said.

"Geophysical investigations had revealed more walls underground, so that this 'church' was initially believed to be part of a larger monastery," the release also noted. 

Archaeologists also found additional stone pillars "which point to the existence of perhaps a three-nave structure," along with the remains of a Christian meeting place. 

Pottery with a Maltese cross was also recovered there.

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The site's proximity to a nearby Sasanian fortification is particularly significant, researchers said, as it may indicate that Christians and Zoroastrians lived side by side in the region.

The Zoroastrians were subjects of the Sasanian Empire, a major Persian empire that ruled from around 224 A.D. to 651 A.D. 

The state religion was Zoroastrianism, and the fall of the empire in the 7th century gave way to Islamization in modern-day Iraq and Iran. 

There are some 100,000 Zoroastrians practicing the religion today.

The proof of Zoroastrians at the site is "more indirect," said Alexander Tamm, a professor at Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He co-led the excavation.

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"There was also a small fortress that was in use at the same time," said Tamm. "So far, we have not found any artifacts there that would indicate a Christian presence."

He added, "If one thinks this through further and assumes that a small military unit may have been stationed there… these individuals were most likely Zoroastrians."

It's not news that these two religions had intermingled in northern Iraq, Tamm said.

"Religious diversity was common," the archaeologist noted.

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"One should also not forget that Muslims and Christians later coexisted in this region as well - and still do today."

For those unfamiliar with Zoroastrianism, Tamm said it differs markedly from Christianity.

"Zoroastrianism includes multiple deities, whereas Christianity, of course, has only one God," he said. 

Tamm also cited "significant differences" in customs, particularly in burials. Zoroastrians would bury their dead in rock-cut niches or vessels to prevent direct contact with the earth.

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"For Zoroastrians, the earth is considered pure, so the dead could not simply be buried in the ground, as that would have defiled the earth," he said.

"Christians, however, did exactly that: They buried their dead in the ground. This could certainly have been perceived as a major affront to Zoroastrians."

Despite that tension, Tamm pointed to evidence of people "adapting to one another, to some extent."

He said, "They likely respected each other's customs, even when those practices partially contradicted their own religious teachings."

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Tamm added that it was "quite surprising" to find that the site itself dated to the Sasanian period, particularly given the size of the buildings uncovered.

"We really had very few indications of what to expect," the expert said. "We had assumed we might uncover a small village."

Tamm concluded that much about the history of Christianity in Iraq and Iran remains unknown.

"There is still a great deal left to excavate," he said.

"Only new excavations can help to reconstruct this information… The staff of the Sulaymaniyah Antiquities Authority and our excavation workers are of the Islamic faith - but for them, as for us, archaeology and the pursuit of knowledge are the priority."