Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a paper-thin sheet of gold, which experts believe may contain a biblical passage. The amulet was found at the Türkmen Karahöyük archaeological site in Konya, central Turkey, where an international team of researchers from 13 countries was excavating the site.
The amulet dates back to the fourth or fifth centuries A.D., a period significant in Christian history. Inside its copper case is a thin gold sheet, approximately 0.1 millimeters thick, on which a passage from the Bible was likely written. However, it is still unclear which biblical passage it contains.
Excavation co-director Michele Rüzgar Massa stated that such amulets are relatively rare. He noted that a similar example was found in Germany, and that the amulet likely belonged to a small child. Massa compared the amulet to an evil-eye charm.
The discovery was made as part of a broader excavation effort that has uncovered a range of artifacts, including a stone seal with a Luwian hieroglyphic inscription. The seal dates back to around 1500-1400 B.C. and is linked to the Luwians, an ancient people who inhabited parts of Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
The archaeological site, Türkmen Karahöyük, is significant due to its location in the center of Anatolia, where cultures intersect. Deputy excavation director Hüseyin Erpehlivan noted that the site is a multilayered settlement extending from the Late Hellenistic period through the Iron Age and Bronze Age and into earlier periods.
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