2,000-year-old gold earring found in Jerusalem
2008-11-10

Category Relics Nations Israel Egypt City Jerusalem Category Regions Regions Asia Middle East Africa Source (AP)

JERUSALEM - The Israel Antiquities Authority says archeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old gold earring beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's old city.

The authority says the earring is inlaid with pearls and emeralds and was made sometime between the first century B.C. and the beginning of the fourth century A.D.

In a statement released Monday the authority said the piece is "astonishingly well-preserved." It was discovered during excavation of the ruins of a building from the Byzantine period, dating from around the fifth century, A.D.

The authority says the earring appears to have been crafted using a technique similar to that depicted in portraits from Roman-era Egypt.