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Rare find: 1,600-year-old solid gold bead discovered in Jerusalem (photo)

The necklace consists of tiny golden balls arranged in a floral design.

An 18-year-old volunteer found a unique gold necklace from the Roman era in Jerusalem. It was discovered during a thorough sifting of soil removed from the excavation site on the Pilgrimage Road, writes IFLScience.

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“I poured water from a bucket onto a sieve and started rinsing the material that was brought from the excavations in the City of David,” said Gallel Feidman, a National Service volunteer who found the bead. “And then I noticed something shiny in the corner of the sieve, something unusual “Which I have never seen. I immediately approached the archaeologist and he confirmed that I had found a gold bead. Everyone present was very enthusiastic.”

The bead is made of pure gold and is approximately 1600 years old. It is proof of incredible craftsmanship as individual tiny gold balls are fastened together to create a flower-like shape. Gold items are not often found during archaeological excavations in the region, and beads of this level of complexity are especially rare.

And although such jewels have already been found near the city of David, they were all made of silver.

Dr. Amir Golani of the Israel Antiquities Authority explained how rare this find is: “The most interesting element of the necklace is its unique and intricate way of making. , and this is another reason why this find is of great value.”

The bead was probably originally a tiny part of a larger piece of jewelry, such as beads or a bracelet, which, according to archaeologists, only a wealthy person with considerable wealth could wear.

Indeed, the remains of the building in which it was found was once a stately structure, its decorative mosaic floor attesting to the wealth of its inhabitants.

It is believed that the technology of making a bead comes from Mesopotamia – this piece of jewelry could have come to Jerusalem through trade or be a family heirloom that was passed down from generation to generation.

According to the researchers, even now with modern technology, creating something similar would not be so easy. A close examination of this object fills with a deep sense of admiration for the technical skill and abilities of those who lived before us many centuries ago.

Focus has previously written about various valuable finds, in particular a 500-year-old necklace associated with Henry VIII . Also about 3,500-year-old gold jewelry found in an Egyptian necropolis . And about the real dream of archaeologists – a medieval burial with incredible treasures in the UK .

But in addition to real finds, we talked about how mathematical chaos can create unique things. The researchers believe that jewelry turned out to be the best way to interpret the beauty of chaos.

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