The group is focusing on excavating refuse pits, essentially the town dumps used by the Samaritan community during the sixth and seventh centuries CE, Tal told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.There are cool photos of the octagonal ring, which is inscribed with the name of God.
Findings thus far in the main pit at the site include 400 Byzantine coins, 200 Samaritan lamps, an ancient ring and gold jewelry.
Tal said many of these findings could be significant because they included items that were discarded unused.
“Among these findings we have many intact oil lamps.
Some of them are even still sealed,” he said.
“This is very fascinating...
You don’t expect them to be found in dumps and refuse, because they need to be used and they need to be sold,” he said.
“Our understanding is that there is some sort of probable cultic aspect of intentionally discarding usable and intact vessels among the Samaritan community that inhabited Apollonia in the late Byzantine period.”
Also see: Byzantine Coins and Gold Found in Garbage Pit (Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery.com).
