JERUSALEM — A luxurious gold, pearl and emerald earring provides a new visual clue about the life of the elite in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.
And its discovery was a true eureka moment for excavators.
The piece was found beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. It dates to the Roman period just after the time of Jesus, said Doron Ben-Ami, who directed the dig.
The earring was uncovered in a destroyed Byzantine structure built centuries after the piece was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.
Archaeologists came upon the earring in a corner while excavating the ruins of the building under a parking lot. “Suddenly one of the excavators came up shouting, 'Eureka!' ” Ben-Ami said.
The find is eye-catching: a large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.
And its discovery was a true eureka moment for excavators.
The piece was found beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. It dates to the Roman period just after the time of Jesus, said Doron Ben-Ami, who directed the dig.
The earring was uncovered in a destroyed Byzantine structure built centuries after the piece was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.
Archaeologists came upon the earring in a corner while excavating the ruins of the building under a parking lot. “Suddenly one of the excavators came up shouting, 'Eureka!' ” Ben-Ami said.
The find is eye-catching: a large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.
