No 24D

Location: Southern gallery, east wall, second pier (from south to north).

Material: Marble surface, 6th century.

Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm, width 10 cm, at eye level.

Condition: Shallow carvings, not intersected by other marks.

Technique: Incised.

Description: Contour drawing of a cross with equal-length arms terminating in sharp V-shaped ends, creating a distinctive geometric outline. It is accompanied by the Latin inscription Nicola Nacio.

Attribution: A personal devotional mark.

Publications: none.

Commentary: The Latin inscription “Nicola Nacio” may record the name of a pilgrim or knight, possibly “Nicolaus Natione…”, a formula common in pilgrim graffiti across the Levant and Aegean. It is unlikely to be a formal Templar cross (which has flared arms of equal length) or a Hospitaller cross (with bifurcated or eight-pointed arms). The “V”-ended cross shape occurs in Crusader and late Byzantine contexts, where it served both as a personal devotional sign and a marker of Christian identity, rather than an official emblem of a specific order. This V-shaped cross likely represents a Western devotional or apotropaic variant, carved by a Latin pilgrim or knight. May symbolize protection or a personal mark of piety, rather than a specific monastic order.

Date: 12th–14th century AD.