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Israel discovers 1,000-year-old clay jar with gold coins
2020-11-19

Israel discovers 1,000-year-old pottery juglet containing four gold coins in Jerusalem. (Photo provided by Israel Antiquities Authority)

JERUSALEM, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli archaeologists unearthed a 1,000-year-old pottery juglet containing four gold coins in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday.

The small clay jar, from the Early Islamic period, was found near the Western Wall Plaza.

According to IAA, the coins were in excellent preservation and immediately identifiable even without cleaning.

Israel discovers 1,000-year-old pottery juglet containing four gold coins in Jerusalem. (Photo provided by Israel Antiquities Authority)

Two gold dinars were minted in the ancient city of Ramla in central Israel during the rule of Caliph al-Muti (946-974), while the other two were minted in Cairo by the Fatimid Caliphate's rulers al-Mu'izz (953-975) and his successor al-Aziz (975-996).

"Four dinars was a considerable sum of money for most of the population, who lived under difficult conditions," the researchers said. "It was equal to the monthly salary of a minor official, or four months' salary for a common laborer."