Coins more than a 1000 years old found off the side of an Israeli highway
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Another piece of history has surfaced in Israel! A small collection of nine bronze coins have been discovered and retrieved by archaeologists conducting a routine dig in preparation for a highway extension and maintenance operation. The coins, dating from 7th century C.E may have belonged to Christians fleeing Persian forces.
Israel is a land of history and artifacts. As one of the most historically important and holy sites in the world, the discovery of slices of history, remnants of those who have gone before, are comparatively common in Israel. This is why archaeologists are often called in to scout and dig areas marked for large construction or excavation – you never know what might lie just beneath the ground. As the team discovered for themselves as they unearthed an ancient two story building and a wine press just off the side of Highway 1 near Ein Hemed, a place only a short 10 minutes jaunt west of Jerusalem.
The former two-story building and wine press are interesting historical finds on their own. For whatever reason, the building was abandoned centuries ago and reclaimed by the land. The slow erosion of years of wind, occasional rain, and the grinding of time eventually reducing the building to just another odd bump alongside one of Israel's highway. History faded into the earth, but never completely erased. It stirs the imagination of how much else is out there to be discovered, what other secrets lie forgotten next to off-ramps, under park benches, just under the water of a sandy bay.
The coins were found tucked away inside the building and date to an interesting period of history. While authenticating and determining the origin of an artifact is always an involved process, placing these coins in historical context was easy for researchers, thanks to clear evidence of the dates involved emblazoned on every coin. The purse was a grab bag of currencies and denominations, with coins struck in different mints and bearing different images. Byzantine emperors Justinian, Murice, and Phocas all grace the coins with their visages, dating the coins as old as 483 AD and as recent as 610 AD) given the span of their respective reigns.
The coins, found underneath large stones piled up inside and in a small nook of the collapsed structure seemed intentionally hidden. Unlike other historic finds that seem to be concealed by chance or fluke, some ancient person secreted these coins away and successfully kept them hidden for more than a millenia.
It is suspected that the former owner placed the coins in a safe place to protect them during a conflict. The date and location suggests the conflict may have been the 641 invasion of the Persians. It is possible that the owner was a Christian fleeing the conflict area, hiding his or her treasure to protect against ransacking and potentially being accosted. Unfortunately, it seems like they never made it back to their little treasure pile.
In light of the find, the site will be preserved as a historic landmark, perhaps hinting at more discoveries to be made nearby. Just another reminder of Israel's long and storied past and it's position as one of the most consistently important locations in the world.
