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What seems to be a crudely crafted gold ring from about 2,300 years ago, inset with an embedded dark red stone, has been found in ancient Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday. Its relatively small size suggests it may have belonged to a child, the archaeologists say. Or maybe it was designed for an adult's little finger.

The ring was recently discovered by Tehiya Gangate while sifting excavation soil from the City of David site, south of Temple Mount . The gold and stone remain to be analyzed, but the archaeologists think it's a garnet. Stylistically, the ring is typical of the late fourth to early third century B.



C.E., the Persian and early Hellenistic periods .

That was a time when gold jewelry with semi-precious embeds came into fashion in the stead of engraving the metal, the archaeologists say. "The recently found gold ring joins other ornaments of the early Hellenistic period found in the City of David excavations, including the horned-animal earring and the decorated gold bead," stated Yuval Gadot, archaeology professor at Tel Aviv University, and excavator Efrat Bocher. "Gold jewelry was well-known in the Hellenistic world, from Alexander the Great 's reign onward.

His conquests helped spread and transport luxury goods and products," the IAA said. Which brings us back to the point that this particular ring ostensibly seems crudely fashioned, compared for instance with the horned-animal earring they mention, agrees the IAA's Yiftah Shalev, co-di.

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