1,600-year-old amulet depicting King Solomon spearing the devil found in Turkey

Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered a rare fifth-century Christian pendant depicting King Solomon on horseback spearing the devil. It's the only pendant of its kind discovered in Anatolia, a region that covers much of modern-day Turkey, to date.

Both sides of the bronze pendant feature inscriptions in ancient Greek. The text on the King Solomon side translates to "Our Lord defeated evil," while the other side names four angels: Azrael, Gabriel, Michael and Israfil.

"It is a symbol of religion and power," Ersin Çelikbaş, an archaeologist at Karabük University in Turkey who oversaw the excavation, told Live Science. The pendant was used as an amulet, a charm that was thought to protect against evil or danger, Çelikbaş added in a translated statement.