(Kitco News) - For the second time in as many months, a collection of ancient coins has been discovered in Israel.

According to media reports, a small hoard of coins and jewelry were discovered by a father and son who were exploring ancient caves in the Northern part of the country. The reports said that the coins are more than 2,000 years old, dating back to the time of Alexander the Great.

In an interview with CNN, Eitan Klein, deputy director of the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said they have seen pictures of the ancient coins and “we understood that we are talking about something very, very unique.”

The report went on to say that the coins were believed to have been wrapped in a cloth and hidden in the caves, located in the Galilee region, to be retrieved at a later time. 

“The valuables might have been hidden in the cave by local residents who fled there during the period of governmental unrest stemming from the death of Alexander, a time when the Wars of the Diadochi broke out in Israel between Alexander’s heirs following his death,” said the IAA in a media statement.

The reports said that one of the pieces in the find is an intricate set of silver earrings, the likes of which the IAA have never seen. After finding the treasure trove, the father and son reported the find to the IAA, which has since sent teams to explore, discovering even old objects.

“At this point they believe they have found artifacts in the cave that first date to the Chalcolithic period c. 6,000 years ago; from the Early Bronze Age c. 5,000 years ago, the Biblical period 3,000 years ago and the Hellenistic period approximately 2,300 years ago,” the IAA said in the statement.

In mid-February, the IAA announced that a group of divers, exploring an ancient harbor in the Caesarea National Park, off the Israel cost, discovered more than 2,000 ancient coins, the country’s largest collection of ancient coins.

By Neils Christensen of Kitco News; [email protected]
Follow Neils Christensen @neils_C

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