A remarkable hoard of 160 ancient Greek coins dating back 2,000 years has been unearthed in Israel's Jordan Valley, shedding light on the economic and cultural landscape of the Hasmonean period. Discovered by University of Haifa archaeologists, this exceptionally large find provides a rare glimpse into the daily life of travelers and merchants along an ancient route.
Tag: ancient coins
A team of archaeologists from the University of Haifa recently uncovered a rare treasure of over 160 ancient coins in the Jordan Valley, dating back to the Asmonean period over 2,100 years ago. Discovered near the ancient Fortress of Alexandria, the coins feature inscriptions in both Aramaic and Greek, including the name of King Alexander Jannaeus. The find, made during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, provides a unique glimpse into the region's history and is one of the largest coin collections ever found in the Holy Land.
Greece returned 1,055 ancient coins to Turkey in a historic repatriation effort. The 5th-century BC coins, including silver staters and Athenian tetradrachms, were smuggled from Turkey and seized at the Greek border in 2019. Culture ministers from both countries attended the handover ceremony in Athens, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in protecting shared cultural heritage. The event also saw Turkish support voiced for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures
A hidden trove of ancient artifacts, dating from Greece's Geometric period (1100-750 BC) to the Hellenistic era (up to 31 BC), was discovered in a vacated Athens store earlier this year. The cache, packed in boxes wrapped with 1940s newspapers, included over 3,000 items, ranging from ancient coins and vessels to post-Byzantine religious artifacts. The find highlights Athens' rich historical layers and underscores the importance of preserving and studying cultural heritage.
Archaeologists in Bulgaria have unearthed five gold coins dating to the time of the emperor Justinian the Great (ruled from A.D. 527 to 565). Although it is not unusual to discover coins during excavations, these ones were located on the floor of a 10th-century house — suggesting the dwelling's medieval occupants may have kept the coins as a kind of heirloom or artifact.
A pot overflowing with Persian gold coins, likely a lost mercenary payday from the 5th century BC, has been discovered beneath a house in the ancient Greek city of Notion, Turkey. This remarkable find, consisting of Persian darics – gold coins each worth a month's soldier's pay – was unearthed during a meticulously controlled archaeological dig, a rarity that adds to the mystery of the hidden hoard.
Greek archaeologists have discovered a small but interesting hoard of coins on the hill of…
More than 1,500 years ago, a thriving harbour town southwest of Alexandria, Egypt, was a…
The British Museum has recently discovered the loss of valuable treasures from its collections, including…
The oldest Armenian coins found in Armenia date back to the 6th-5th centuries BC. As…
After being arrested for smuggling ancient Greek coins in 1992, Italian coin dealer Italo Vecchi, has been charged for possession of stolen coins worth $1 million and accused of assisting in counterfeiting the provenance of the Sicilian Naxos silver coin, minted around 430 B.C.
The United States has returned dozens of stolen ancient coins to Greece in what is…
68 Ancient Greek silver coins were discovered two days ago by a retired police officer…
The amphitheater is close to the size of the Colosseum in Rome, authorities said. The Colosseum, the largest ancient amphitheater still standing, is 188 meters (617 feet) in length and 156 meters in width.
A man was arrested at the port of Piraeus on Monday after authorities found in…
The US Department of Homeland Security returned ten ancient coins looted from Greece during a…
Greek police have arrested a 55 year old man in Larissa over the illegal possession…