A 1,100-year-old inscription found on a breastplate found in the ruins of a Bulgarian fortress may be one of the oldest Cyrillic texts ever found. Scientists from the Bulgarian National Museum told about it live science.
“The text was written on a lead plate worn on the chest to protect the wearer from trouble and evil,” the scientists said.
Judging by the way the letters were written and the location of the inscription in the castle, this text was probably brought to the castle between 916 and 927 and was brought by the Bulgarian military garrison. The inscription also includes the names of two petitioners: Pavel and Dimitar. It is unknown who they were, but most likely Dimitar was a military garrison stationed at the fort and was a relative of Paul.
The inscription belongs to the reign of Tsar Simeon I (also known as Simeon the Great), who ruled the Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 927. During this time, the king expanded the empire by launching military campaigns against Byzantium.
The Cyrillic writing system used in Russian and other Eurasian languages was developed in the Middle Ages. Prior to this discovery, the earliest surviving Cyrillic texts date back to 921. Thus, the newly discovered inscription is one of the oldest Cyrillic texts ever found.