IAA exhibits ancient gold jewelry forgotten in a drawer

ANCIENT APOTROPAIC FUNERARY BLING: Spectacular Gold Jewels Worn Against Evil Eye in Roman Jerusalem Go on Exhibit, Finally. Found over 50 years ago and forgotten in a box at the Israel Antiquities Authority, the gold ‘moon’ pendant was probably worn by a girl as an amulet, archaeologists say (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

For the first time, gorgeous gold jewels discovered in forgotten drawers at the Israel Antiquities Authority will be going on display. The items, dating to the Late Roman period about 1,800 years ago, will be exhibited at a conference of the IAA, the Israel Exploration Society and the Israel Archaeological Association, the authority announced on Monday.

The newly unearthed treasures include gold earrings, a hairpin, beads made of gold, carnelian stone and glass - and a gold pendant called a lunula that is shaped like the crescent moon and named after the Roman moon goddess Luna.

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