Israeli teenagers volunteering at an archaeological dig have discovered gold coins at least 1,000 years old.
Housed in a clay jar, the 425 24 carat coins date back to the 9th century, during the Abbasid Caliphate. This is a not inconsiderable amount for that time, according to Robert Kool, an expert in Numismatics.
"For example, with this money, one could buy a luxury house in one of the best neighborhoods in Fustat, the famous capital of Egypt," he said.
The "treasure" was discovered last week during excavations in central Israel, where a new neighborhood is expected to be built.
According to the Guardian, excavation leader Liat Nadav-Ziv said, "The man who buried this treasure 1,100 years ago probably expected to come back to get the money. In fact, he had secured the jar with a nail so it wouldn't easily moved. We can imagine what prevented him from returning to his treasure."
One of the volunteers and finders of the treasure, Oz Cohen said "I was digging in the ground and as I was removing the soil, I saw what looked like very thin leaves. When I looked again, it was these gold coins. It was exciting to discover such a special and ancient treasure".