Early Christian amulet and ancient seal found in Turkey — Jerusalem Post
An early Christian amulet with a thin gold plate and a stone seal bearing a hieroglyphic inscription, about 3,500 years old, were discovered at the Türkmen-Karahöyük archaeological site in Turkey. The finds were made during the third excavation season by researchers from Bilkent University, the University of Chicago and Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Jerusalem Post reports, citing the Turkish outlet Turkey Today.
Gold plate in a copper container
According to Turkey Today, the amulet dates to the 4th or 5th century AD. It was found in a small copper container. Inside, archaeologists discovered an extremely thin gold plate, 0.1 millimeters thick, which likely contains a passage from the Bible.
Michele Ruzgar Massa of Bilkent University suggested that the amulet may have belonged to a small child and served as a protective charm, similar to the traditional nazar boncuğu amulet against the evil eye. According to him, such amulets are rare; a similar object was previously found in Germany.
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Seal with a Luwian inscription
The stone seal bears a hieroglyphic inscription in the Luwian language, which was used in Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The inscription contains a personal name and an official title. Massa assessed that this indicates the seal belonged to a lower-ranking person within an organized state bureaucratic system.
The seal bears the name Kurunti-ziti, linked to Kurunta, the Hittite deer god and patron of the countryside. Two copper seals and a clay seal impression with another name were also found at the site. Massa noted that the finds indicate Türkmen-Karahöyük functioned as a major administrative center during that period.
