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Date Published: 25/01/2022

ARCHIVED - Historic 370-year-old Murcia cross found at USA archaeological site

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The Spanish cross is thought to have been manufactured in Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Historic 370-year-old Murcia cross found at USA archaeological site

An archaeological site in Maryland, USA, made a unique discovery recently when a 370-year-old Caravaca cross was found, despite the fact that there were no known Spanish settlers in this area during that time period.

The artefact was identified as a Caravaca cross, from the municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz in Murcia, due to its characteristic design which dates back to the 1650s. Caravaca crosses originate in a 700-year-old legend about a 13th century priest who was given a fragment of Jesus Christ’s cross by two angels, and the incredible find was reported in The Washington Post.

According to archaeologist Dr Travis Parno, the cross is thought to have been manufactured in or near Caravaca de la Cruz and the small hole near the top of the vertical piece indicates that the cross was part of a necklace or a rosary.

Experts were puzzled at the discovery, as the St Mary’s archaeology site excavates an area which was once an English colony. Due to the fraught relationship between England and Spain at the time, it is unlikely that a Spaniard had visited the colony and left the cross behind.

The most plausible explanation is that it was acquired by one of St Mary’s residents through trade with local Native Americans, as historians have confirmed that Spanish cultural and religious items were often traded up and down the East Coast of the United States.

Image: Olivia Crookall

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