Archaeologists Strike Roman Gold in Jerusalem
Archaeologists working close to the Old City of Jerusalem have uncovered a rare 1,600-year-old gold bead dating back to Roman times.
The tiny bead, which was found in a Roman structure on Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, is an uncommon discovery as it deviates from the style of the time.
The Israel Antiquities Authority said that the find was made by 18-year-old volunteer Hallel Feidman as she was part of a sifting project based at nearby Emek Tzurim National Park.
The IAA said that the intact bead was created used a complicated process that welded together over a dozen granules of pure gold, a process that most likely came from Mesopotamia, which is today part of Iraq.
“Throughout all my years in archaeology, I have found gold perhaps once or twice, so to find gold jewelry, is something very very special,” Dr. Amir Golani, the Israel Antiquities Authority’s ancient jewelry expert, told the local media.
Golani said that the bead was most likely one of many on a necklace or bracelet that was owned by “a wealthy person of means.”
“Although it is a tiny find, it is precisely the personal, day-to-day items that manage to touch and connect us more than anything else, directly, to a certain person,” said Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido. “A close examination of this object fills one with a deep sense of admiration for the technical skill and ability of those who came before us many centuries ago.”
