Experts say the hidden coins provide evidence for a dramatic moment in the history of the region — the Muslim conquest of parts of the Byzantine Empire.
abc.net.au/news/gold-coins-buried-in-wall-found-israeli-archaeologists/101498558A treasure trove of 44 gold coins hidden in a wall more than 1,000 years ago has been discovered by Israeli archaeologists.None of them are dated later than the Muslim conquest in the regionExperts believe the hoard points to a dramatic moment in the history of the region — the Muslim conquest of parts of what was then the Byzantine Empire.
The coins were found in the base of a stone wall during excavations at the Hermon Stream nature reserve near Banias, in the Golan Heights. "The coin hoard is an extremely significant archaeological find as it dates to an important transitional period in the history of the city of Banias and the entire region of the Levant," Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority , said.
Archaeologists found the coins at the site of the ancient city of Paneas . The city once served as a cultic site to the god of fertility, Pan, which is where the Greek name of the city originated, according to the IAA. The IAA's Dr Gabriela Bijovsky said the oldest coins in the cache dated back to the reign of the Byzantine emperor Phocas, who ruled between 602 AD and 610 AD.Director of excavations Yoav Lerer said the coins were likely to have been buried by someone fleeing "the threat of war"."We can imagine the owner hiding his fortune under the threat of war, hoping to one day return to retrieve his property.
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