Friday, February 21, 2014

ABEL BETH MACCAH, ISRAEL—After months of conservation, a seemingly nondescript ball of silver found in simple jar at the site of the ancient biblical city of Abel Beth Maccah in northern Israel has turned out to be five ancient silver hoop earrings, as well as other pieces of silver that may have been used as a kind of money, Live Science reports. The archaeologists, who found the jar leaning against a wall in a very large ancient building, are unclear as to why the vessel and its valuable contents were left behind, but will return next season to investigate the city’s puzzling history.