'St John's bones' found in Bulgaria

Archaeologists in Bulgaria have claimed to have unearthed bones belonging to John the Baptist on an island off the country's coast.

The relics were discovered in urn built into the alter of an ancient church named after Christ's baptiser on the island of St Ivan, which lies close to the coastal holiday town of Sozopol.

When scientists opened the container they found small human bones from an arm, leg and ankle, which they said most probably belong to John, one of the most revered and important figures in the Christianity.

"We found the relics of Saint John the Baptist - exactly what the archaeologists had expected," said Bozhidar Dimitrov, Bulgaria's minister without portfolio who attended the opening.

"It has been confirmed that these are parts of his skeleton."

Professor Kazimir Popkonstantinov, head of the excavation team, said the discovery was of a huge significance, and that the remains had been sent for anthropological analysis.

Although just how the bones found their way to a small island in the Black Sea remains something of a mystery, Mr Dimitrov said that he believed that they came from Constantinople.

"We suppose that in ancient times someone from the Patriarchate of Constantinople donated part of the holy relics to the monastery of Saint John the Forerunner," the minister said.

But sceptics have pointed out that Saint Ivan is not the first location to claim to possess relics of John the Baptist. Ever since he was buried in what is now northern Israel, parts of the saint have apparently been taken to Egypt, Montenegro and Greece.