1,000-yr-old clay jar with gold coins found in Israel

JERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Xinhua): Israeli archaeologists unearthed a 1,000-year-old pottery juglet containing four gold coins in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Monday.

The small clay jar from the early Islamic period was found near the Western Wall Plaza.

According to IAA, the coins were in excellent preservation and immediately identifiable even without cleaning, reports Xinhua.

Two gold dinars were minted in the ancient city of Ramla in central Israel during the rule of Caliph al-Muti (946-974), while the other two were minted in Cairo by the Fatimid Caliphate's rulers al-Mu'izz (953-975) and his successor al-Aziz (975-996).

"Four dinars was a considerable sum of money for most of the population, who lived under difficult conditions," the researchers said.