About 1,500 pieces of ivory, once embedded in decorative plaques and dating to the Iron Age, were unearthed by Israeli archaeologists in Jerusalem on Monday, the first such find in the Holy City.
By Nithya Bhaguri and AFP
ohDecorated with rosettes, lotus flowers and geometric motifs, more than 1,500 small ivories were found in the ruins of an 8th or 7th century BC building near the Old City in East Jerusalem, an area occupied and later annexed by Israel. Published on Monday.
“The impressive building from which pieces of ivory were excavated was destroyed in a huge fire (…) and the pieces were broken into small pieces and burned,” the Israel Archaeological Authority (AIA) said.
It speaks of an “extraordinary find”, the first of its kind in Jerusalem.
Great wealth
“We found 1,500 pieces of ivory, broken and small pieces, of different sizes and in different states,” Reli Avizar, an archaeologist who took part in the excavation, told AFP. “It’s a huge collection, and when we restored it we found endless designs. »
According to the AIA, these pieces come from richly decorated wooden furniture used by the occupants of the residence, probably local officials or priests.
“Such objects are usually found in royal palaces, so it shows the great wealth and prosperity of the place,” Reli Avisar said.
In ancient times, ivory was one of the more expensive commodities than gold, AIA underlines.
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