Discovered in central Germany, the 1,800-year-old silver artifact held a tiny scroll, which researchers have now deciphered using high-resolution scans

Archaeologists in Frankfurt (Main) have uncovered a groundbreaking historical artifact: a silver amulet believed to be the oldest Christian document north of the Alps. The find sheds new light on early Christianity during the Roman Empire and has sparked widespread excitement among historians and researchers.

A silver amulet found next to a skeleton in a 1,800-year-old grave in Germany speaks to the importance — and the risk — of being Christian in Roman times.

Researchers dated the grave where the amulet was found to between 230 and 270 AD. This is the earliest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps, the city said: All other finds are several decades younger, with "reliable evidence" of the religion in the region dating back to the 4th century.

German archaeologists spent years trying to read a fragile silver scroll found inside the amulet. They finally succeeded.

A small silver amulet discovered by archaeologists in Germany could transform our understanding of how Christianity spread under the Roman Empire, experts have said.

An ancient amulet containing an inscription praising Jesus Christ, which was found in the western German city of Frankfurt, could provide evidence of the oldest Christian discovery north of the Alps.

Nestled amid the remains of a man thought to have been between 25 and 35, archaeologists in Germany found an object described as a "scientific sensation".