Illustration of the likely original appearance of the cross. (source: Peter Horváth)
A small bronze cross found in a field near the western Slovak village of Kátlovce has surprised archaeologists with a highly unusual detail: an inscription in Slovak – a rarity among religious artefacts, which typically feature Latin, German or Hungarian.
Discovered during a 2016 field survey in the Trnava Region, the cross now rests in the Monuments Board’s archaeological depository in Bratislava, among thousands of other finds, according to My Trnava. It was only during a routine inspection that experts noticed something remarkable: this unassuming cross, likely worn as a devotional pendant, bears a Slovak-language passage believed to be from The Imitation of Christ, a classic Christian text attributed to the 15th-century monk Thomas à Kempis.
“This is the only known devotional cross with a Slovak inscription,” said Martin Horváth, the curator overseeing the depository.
Its origins remain unclear. The cross, which measures just 7 by 3.8 centimetres and is bent out of shape – probably by modern farming machinery – was found without archaeological context. It may date from the late 19th or early 20th century, a time when Slovak began to appear more widely in public and religious life. Whether it was mass-produced or custom-made remains unknown.
Once a crucifix, the piece bears the remains of tiny pins that once held a figure of Christ, now lost. A Jerusalem cross is also visible – an emblem with deep Christian significance.
Such objects were often buried in fields to bless the land or were accidentally lost. Either way, Horváth says, the find is significant: “Perhaps more crosses like this exist. They could help us trace the lives and faith of those who carried them.”
