Archaeologists have discovered a “treasure trove” of gold coins dating back over 900 years in the town of Caesarea, Israel.
The treasure includes 24 gold coins and a gold earring. Experts believe they are at least 900 years old.
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The hoard of coins dates back to the 11th century (Photo: EPA)
Speaking to The Times of Israel, Dr. Robert Kool, a coin expert from the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: “Overall, they are very rare.”
He stated that the discovery was a significant fortune, as one or two coins in it were worth the equivalent of a farmer’s annual income at the end of the 11th century. Therefore, the owner of this fortune was most likely a merchant or a wealthy individual.
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One or two coins are equivalent to a farmer’s annual salary (Photo: EPA)
The research team believes that the jar of gold coins is related to the Crusade of 1101, one of the most catastrophic events in medieval Caesarea history.
Dr. Kool added: “It feels like the treasure was hidden away quite quickly.”
These coins were found between two stones of a well, inside an ancient house in the town of Caesarea.
The villagers broke a piece of pottery and placed it in as a temporary lid to prevent the coins from falling out.
“The owner of the treasure and his family may have died in the massacre or been sold into slavery, so they couldn’t have returned to retrieve the jar of gold coins,” said Dr. Peter Gendelman and Mohammed Hatar, who lead the archaeological project at the Caesarea heritage site.