Two Millennia Old Roman Earring Found in Jerusalem

A team of archaeologists from Israel led by Doron Ben-Ami, a Ph.D researcher from the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, has recently uncovered a precious piece of jewelry lying under layers of earth beneath a parking lot, by the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The earring was dated to a period stretching between the 1^st century BC and the 4^th century AD, when the city was under Roman domination, around the time when Jesus Christ is said to have lived.

The earring looks very appealing - with a gold set, containing a large round pearl and two gold drop pieces, both of which house a small emerald and a pearl. According to Ben-Ami, quoted by the Associated Press, "It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem. Such a precious item, it couldn't be one of just ordinary people". The Israel Antiquities Authority believes the piece of jewelry looks very similar to those in portraits from Roman-occupied Egypt and dated it by comparison with resembling pieces across Europe.

 

Another archaeologist, Shimon Gibson, who did not participate in the digging activity, and who dated the earring somewhat later, to a period between the 2^nd and the 4^th centuries AD, is less impressed by its Roman origin and more by its appearance and quality. "Jewelry is hardly preserved in archaeological context in Jerusalem," he explained, referring to the fact that the city had been occupied many times during its history and that such artifacts were generally melted and sold. "It adds to the visual history of Jerusalem," he shared, drawing attention on the social life of the women of that time.

 

The earring was unearthed in a ruined Byzantine building, centuries younger than the jewelry, indicating that it may have been passed on through generations. The structure kept it "astonishingly well-preserved" and away from looting hands.