An international team of archaeologists has unearthed a 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a thin gold sheet that may bear a biblical passage. The artifact was discovered at the Türkmen Karahöyük archaeological site in Konya, central Turkey.
The amulet dates back to the fourth or fifth centuries A.D., a pivotal period in early Christian history. Inside its corroded copper case lies a delicate, 0.1-millimeter gold sheet, which experts believe most likely contains a biblical text, according to Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency (AA). The excavation, involving approximately 60 researchers from 13 countries, has yielded a variety of artifacts, suggesting the site was a major administrative center in antiquity. Alongside the amulet, archaeologists uncovered older items, including a stone seal with a Luwian inscription dating to roughly 1500-1400 B.C. The seal bears the name "Kurunti-ziti," linked to the Hittite god Kurunta.
Michele Rüzgar Massa, excavation co-director, told AA that amulets of this kind are rare, with only one similar example known to have been found in Germany. He suggested this particular amulet might have belonged to a child, functioning similarly to an evil-eye charm.
The Türkmen Karahöyük site is notable for its multilayered settlement, with evidence spanning from the Late Hellenistic period through the Iron Age and Bronze Age, and even earlier. Deputy excavation director Hüseyin Erpehlivan highlighted the site's significance, stating, "Konya is located right in the center of Anatolia, in a region where cultures intersect."
This discovery follows other recent finds in Turkey with potential biblical connections, including a 2,500-year-old marble statue from the ruins of Sardis and an ancient mosaic uncovered in Smyrna.