Archaeologists discover mysterious pendant that could have ties to Anne Frank

Archaeologists have discovered a pendant in a former Nazi death camp in Poland that is nearly identical to a pendant owned by Anne Frank, The Washington Post reports. The triangular charm says "Mazel Tov," as well as a date, "July 3, 1929," and a location, "Frankfurt A.M." The only other pendant of its kind known to archaeologists belonged to Frank.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum reports that the newly discovered pendant might have belonged to Karoline Cohn, a Jewish girl who was born at the date and location listed on the pendant. Cohn was 14 years old at the time her pendant was lost; the charm was found in an area where victims would take off their clothes and personal belongings before entering gas chambers. The pendant likely fell through the floorboards, where it remained undiscovered for 70 years.

Frank was also born in Frankfurt in 1929. The similarity between their pendants could suggest "a possible familial connection between Frank and Cohn," Yad Vashem reported.

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"This pendant demonstrates once again the importance of archaeological research of former Nazi death camp sites," the museum said. "The moving story of Karoline Cohn is symbolic of the shared fate of the Jews murdered in the camp. It is important to tell the story, so that we never forget."