Tel Aviv – Israeli archaeologists have unearthed a stash of rare ancient jewelry near the site of the biblical Armageddon in the north of the country.

Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, who co-directed the dig, said this week that the find offers a rare glimpse into ancient Canaanite high society. The 3,000-year-old jewelry was found inside a ceramic vessel, suggesting the owner hid them before fleeing, he said.

The university said in a statement that “The trove is among the most valuable ever found from the Biblical period.” It said that one piece in particular, a gold earring decorated with molded ibexes, or wild goats, is “without parallel.”