The golden Engolpion from the collection of the National History Museum of Romania

• The gold Engolpion (cross-reliquary) discovered at Dinogetia, c. XI, is part of the collection of the National History Museum of Romania and represents proof of the presence of Byzantine art on the territory of our country.

In a broad sense, the engolpion is an object to which apotropaic powers are attributed, being worn around the neck and suspended near the chest. In the Byzantine era, it has the shape of a medallion or a cross inside with holy relics, being worn by high lay dignitaries but especially by clerics, according to the National History Museum of Romania.

In the Orthodox Church, the engolpion is the sign of high hierarchs, bishops, metropolitans or patriarchs, most often being adorned on one side with the image of the Crucifixion of Jesus and on the other with that of the Mother of God with the Child. On the piece from Dinogetia, only the scene of the Crucifixion of Jesus is present.

“In the form of a Latin cross, with arms slightly flared and rounded towards the extremities, the reliquary cross from Dinogetia is composed of two halves articulated longitudinally by means of two hinges. The cross has a length of 10.2 cm, a width of 6.30 cm and a weight with the chain of 77.27 g.
The piece was identified in 1950 during archaeological research on Popina Bisericuța-Garvăn (Garvăn village, Jijila commune, Tulcea county) in the north of Dobrogea”, states the mentioned source.

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