Silver amulet unearthed in Frankfurt grave Is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps

Archaeologists have uncovered a groundbreaking artifact in a 3rd-century Roman grave near Frankfurt, Germany, which provides the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity north of the Alps. The artifact, a silver amulet known as the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription,” dates back to approximately 230-270 CE and predates previously known Christian artifacts from this region by nearly 50 years.

The silver amulet was found during a 2017-2018 excavation of a Roman cemetery in the Heilmannstraße area, the site of the ancient Roman city of Nida. Among these graves, one stood out: the resting place of a man aged 35-45 years. Alongside grave goods such as an incense burner and pottery, archaeologists discovered a small rolled silver foil beneath the man’s chin. The amulet, likely worn on a ribbon around the neck, is classified as a phylactery—a container designed to protect the wearer through its contents.

The inscription etched into the amulet’s silver foil was deciphered using advanced computer tomography technology at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) in Mainz…