Archaeologists have uncovered a gold ornament featuring a precious stone, likely a garnet, during routine excavations in the City of David—the oldest inhabited area of Jerusalem.
The small diameter of the ring led researchers to believe that this artifact, dating back to the late 3rd to early 2nd century BCE, may have once belonged to an engaged young woman. As part of a coming-of-age ritual, she likely buried her childhood jewelry and other relics in the foundation of her home.
This marks the second gold ring from the early Hellenistic period discovered by scientists in the past year, as noted by Live Science.
“The jewelry found was likely buried during a popular ritual of the time that symbolized the transition from childhood to adulthood,” stated researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Tel Aviv University.
“We were sifting through the soil at the excavation site when suddenly Ben, who works with me, pulled out the gold ring,” recounted Rivka Lengler, a co-author of the discovery. “At first, he thought it was a modern item lost by one of our archaeologists, but when I examined the ring, I immediately realized it was ancient,” she added.
In the archaeological layer that had concealed the gold rings for centuries, researchers recently uncovered other valuable artifacts from the Hellenistic period. Among these were bronze earrings, a gold earring depicting a horned animal, and an exquisite gold bead.