In archaeological digs carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, a rare golden earring, dated more than 2,000 years ago, was discovered. According to a press release, the jewel was found inside a building that was unearthed during an excavation at the Givati Parking Lot in the City of David National Park encircling the Old City walls of Jerusalem. The jewelry will be on public display for at the City of David‘s annual archeological conference in September.
The gold earring is hoop-shaped, “and bears the head of a horned animal (possibly a antelope or deer) with large eyes, a mouth and other facial features”, according to the announcement. It dates back to the second or third century BCE, during the Hellenistic period. It is assumed it belonged to someone from Jerusalem‘s upper class. The excavators also found a gold bead with intricate embroidered ornamentation nearby. Examining both the earring and the bead, archeologists from Haifa University estimated that the jewelry was crafted using filigree, a technique in which “threads and tiny metal beads are used to create delicate and complex patterns”.
According to them, this type of earring first appeared in Greece during the early Hellenistic period. While very similar earrings have been found across the Mediterranean basin, especially in Greece, they are extremely rare in Israel.
