This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
A 12-year-old boy has discovered an ancient gemstone believed to date back at least 1,500 years while on an archaeological dig with his class.
Alon Horowitz unearthed the blue gem, known as Nicolo, which is thought to be from either the Roman or Byzantine era, in the Korazim National Park. It was during the last day of a community dig organised by the Parks Authority and Ariel University.
According to a press release issued by the Parks Authority, he said: “After three days of excavations, about 10 minutes before we finished, I was digging with a pickaxe and suddenly saw something blue, round, and special.
“I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I realized it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud.”
Achia Cohen Tavor of Ariel University was the director of the excavation. He said during Roman times, such stones would have been an obvious status symbol.
“Small finds like this open a large window into the personal lives of the residents of ancient Korazim, not only its buildings and streets, but also to their world of beauty, personal status, and connections,” he said.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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