The backplate of the cast bronze pectoral cross was unearthed in 1942 during excavations led by László Gerevich in District XXII of Budapest, on the site of the medieval village of Csőt (Csút). During the excavations, the medieval village’s church, cemetery, and numerous houses were unearthed. According to Gerevich’s account, the cross was found at the last house, at a depth of about 40 cm. However, the dwelling itself can be dated between the end of the 15th century and the mid-16th century, so the object is probably not connected to the house, but rather to a filled-in pit predating its construction.
The back of the reliquary cross
At the center of the cross stands a figure of Mary, hands held in front of her chest, palms facing outward. In the round medallions at the ends of the cross-arms are saints especially revered in the Orthodox Church, their names indicated by inscriptions in Greek and Cyrillic letters. On the upper arm is Saint Peter, on the lower Saint Basil, and on the two side arms Saints Cosmas and Damian. The Cyrillic inscriptions, written in Old Church Slavonic, invoke the help of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.
The inside of the reliquary cross
Crosses similar to the one exhibited here were produced in Kyiv in the 1230s, before the Mongol siege of 1240. The size, design, and characteristic spelling mistakes in the inscriptions are all identical, suggesting that within a short period, large numbers of items were made using the same casting mold. These crosses could have reached Hungary through long-distance trade before the Mongol invasion, but it is also possible that they were brought by people fleeing from the city.
The reconstructed layout of Csút (Csőt) village’s excavated parts (13-15th century) (map by Katalin Irásné Melis)
The use of reliquary pectoral crosses spread with the settlement of the Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin and the establishment of the state around 1000 AD. At this time, the Christianized kingdom opened up routes toward Byzantium and the Holy Land, from where returning pilgrims could bring home reliquary crosses. Inside them they preserved relics and amulets, which were venerated with religious devotion.
Text: Balázs Sándor Szabó
Archaeologist: László Gerevich
Photo: Ákos Keppel