Tel Aviv, Aug. 24, (dpa/GNA) – Two young archaeology volunteers found a trove of ancient golden coins while working on a dig in Israel, scientists confirmed on Monday.
The two volunteers found 425 gold coins buried 1,100 years ago, according to Liat Nadav-Ziv and Elie Haddad, scientists at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
The coins were reportedly in excellent condition, as if they were buried recently.
Robert Kool, a coin expert at the IAA, said the coins were made of pure gold and weighed 845 grams in total.
According to local media, the two teens, who were volunteering before the start of their military service, found the coins on Tuesday near the city of Yavne, after discovering something that looked like thin leaves in the ground.
“When I looked closer, I realized they were gold coins. It was really exciting to find such an old and special treasure,” said Oz Cohen, one of the volunteers.
Most of the coins date back to the late 9th century, a time in which the Abbaside Caliphate covered the territory from Persia to North Africa, with Baghdad at its centre.
GNA