700 year-old hoard of gold coins found in central Israel

Jerusalem, July 8 (Xinhua-ANI): A rare cache of buried gold coins was recently uncovered in an Israeli coastal city, in what appears to be one of the largest-ever such finds.

The stash, valued at over 100,000 U.S. dollars and weighing 400 grams, was unearthed at the 13th century fortress at Apollonia Park, about 25 km north of Tel Aviv, by a joint Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Nature and Parks Authority team, the Ha'aretz daily reported on Sunday.

The hoard consists of 108 gold coins, 93 of them comprised of 4 grams of gold and 15 coins comprised of one gram of gold each. The coins were minted in Egypt some 250 years before being buried in the fortress' floor.

The excavation began three years ago to prevent the collapse of a slowly disintegrating seaside cliff.

Since then, the diggers have discovered numerous findings shedding light on the Crusader Period and of the fortress's last days.

Other findings include hundreds of arrow heads and catapult stones from the battle in which the Mamlukes (members of a military castle who controlled Egypt from the 12th to the 16th century) conquered the castle from the Crusaders, and remains of glass utensils from Italy.

Researchers assume one of the fortress' leaders hid the treasure in a bid to prevent the Muslim conquerors from finding it, and maybe hoping to retrieve it again someday.

"I believe that the stash was deliberately buried in a partly broken vessel, which was then filled with sand and laid under the floor," said the head of the Apollonia digging team, TAU Professor Oren Tal said in an statement published Sunday.

"So if anyone found it, he would think it's a broken pot and pay no attention." However, "The findings indicate a prolonged siege and a harsh battle that took place at the site," Oren added.

The fortress on the coastline and the city beside it were ruled by the Christian Order of the Knights Hospitaller. It was one of the most important Crusader strongholds in the center of the country during the 13th and 14th century.

In March 1265, Mamluke Sultan Baybars stormed the city and captured it after 40 days of siege. The site, abandoned in ruins, has not been inhabited since. (Xinhua-ANI)