Archaeologists have discovered an artifact that offers "proof" of an enduring Christian monastic presence 1,400 years ago on a small island in the Persian Gulf.
A plaster cross moulded on a plaque was found at an archaeological site on Sir Bani Yas, an island about 110 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, reports Crux, the Rome-based Catholic news agency.
The site on Sir Bani Yas was first excavated in the early 1990s and found to contain buildings that archaeologists identified as a church and monastic living quarters, though up to now it was believed that the buildings only served as temporary accommodation.
