Fitz Jenő (szerk.): Religions and Cults in Pannonia. Exhibiton an Székesfehérvár, Csók István Gallery 15 May - 30 September 1996 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: A. sorozat 33. (1998)

EARLY CHRISTIANITY We know from the mid-third century on of an organized Christianity in Pannónia which would not mean, though, that in earlier times there lived no christians in this region, but they were not organized and their number was rather small. A longer time must have elapsed before the ecclesiastical structure of Christianity became provable. The scene of early evangelizing was the region between the Drava and Save, later the section between Poetovio and Savaria, finally the border region along the limes. Pollio, executed in 303, speaks of the martyrs of the previous persecution, the pursuing activities under Valerian (253-260) took their victims also in our region. After the reign of Valerian quiet decades followed when the number of christians suddenly increased, but the persecutions of Diocletian (303-304) took their victims also in our area. Before the sudden change under Constantine bishopries meant only house communities under bishophs. Their raise in office, the wearing of episcopal signatures is due to the dispositions of Constantine. Arianism emerged in this time, in the consequence religious disputes appeared in which also Pannonian took its share. CHURCHES, CHAPELS ECCLESTICAL COMPLEX - KUCAR NEAR PODZEMELJ, XVIII. An Early Christian centre which was composed of two churches, a baptistery and episcopal palace was found on the northern summit of the isolated hill, which rises streeply above the lowland around the river Kolpa. A semicircular priest bank stood on a raised square platform in the nave of the Upper church, which is 17,50 m long and 8,00 m wide. Near the platform a silver cruciform pendant was found. There was a 4 m wide porch on the western side of the church. On the north east side there was a small annex. The entire structure served as a consignatory. The lower church with apse, which almost touched the east wall of the nave, was even bigger; the nave was 19,00 x 10,80 m, also with a 5,70 m wide porch on the western side; on the northern side was a narrow area, which was probably used as an access point between the two churches. The mass took place in these churches. A structure was found in a natural hollow near the upper church, which functioned as a baptistery. The living quarters lay in a large, internally partitioned structure with central heating (hypocausf) on the southern side, identified as the episcopal palace. - 5th-6th centuries. 245. Cruciform pendant The pendant is made of thin silver sheet in the form of a cross with widened arms. The edges are decorated with punched dots. There is a silver wire suspension loop on the upper arm. - 6th century A.D. - 4x4,6 cm; Th: 0,1 cm. - Kucar near Podzemelj, Slovenia. - BMM, Ace. no. R 162. Pismo brezpisave 1991, 50, fig. 5. ix. : 117