A 900-year-old treasure of gold coins unearthed in Israel? in the ancient port of Caesarea. The pieces dating from the end of the eleventh century, were stored in a small bronze pot.
A treasure of rare gold coins was discovered in the ancient port of Caesarea (northern Israel), probably buried - and never recovered - by its owner to shield it from conquest of the city by the Crusaders. 900 years old.
Excavations have unearthed a few days ago a small bronze pot containing 24 pieces of gold and an earring, placed between two stones next to a well in an old house, said the Authority archaeological site and several organizations involved in the discovery.
Rare pieces
The pieces, presented Monday to the press and dating from the end of the eleventh century "allow to link the treasure to the conquest of the city by the Crusaders in 1101, one of the most dramatic episodes in the medieval history of the city," in a statement say the directors of the excavations, Peter Gendelman and Mohammed Hatar. "Someone has hidden his fortune hoping to take it back later, but never returned," they say.
"According to contemporary written sources, most of the inhabitants of Caesarea were massacred by the army of Baldwin I, then king of Jerusalem. It is likely that the owner of the treasure and his family died in the massacre, or were sold as slaves, and never recovered their gold, " they add.
According to Robert Kool, numismatic expert for the Israeli Archaeological Authority, the treasure contains rare pieces related to the reign of Byzantine Emperor Michael VII. "These coins did not circulate locally and leave to summarize contacts, and possible commercial relations, between Caesarea and Constantinople (Byzantium) at this time," he says. "One or two of these gold coins was equivalent to a farmer's annual salary, so it is likely that the person who hid the treasure was from a wealthy background or practiced business," he adds.
Caesarea, on the shores of the Mediterranean, was built in the 1st century BC. J.-C by the King of Judea Herod I, appointed by the Romans.
The important remains of Roman and medieval times make Caesarea one of Israel's attractions. The site is also the site of many discoveries: in 2015, 2,000 gold coins of 1,000 years were found by divers, the largest numismatic treasure found in Israel according to the Antiquities Authority.