Archaeologists working on a Vatican funded restoration project in the Santa Tecla Catacomb in Rome have discovered the world’s oldest images of the Apostles Peter, Paul, John and Andrew.
The images, says Fabrizio Bisconti, Superintendent of Archaeology for the Catacombs, can be dated to the second half of the fourth century.
The team of archaeologists and art restorers used a new laser technique to remove calcium deposits – caused by high humidity and lack of air circulation - in the tomb of a Roman noblewoman and the circular images of the apostles, measuring about 50 cm in diameter, were found on the ceiling.
First the team found images of Peter, Paul and Jesus plus depictions of Biblical scenes and then the faces of John and Andrew were revealed.
Team leader Barbara Mazzei says that it is reasonable to assume that the faces are those of John and Andrew because they were the most important apostles after Peter and Paul, so would have been depicted close to them.
She said that the image of Andrew is the youngest likeness ever seen of him and that making the discovery had been a very emotional experience.
The Catacombs of Santa Tecla are near the Basilica of St Paul-without-the-Walls and lie underneath an office building. They were discovered in the 1950s but have never been opened to the public. For some time to come, they will only be open to archaeologists and art experts because the frescoes are so fragile.
