11th Century Gold and Silver Bracelets Found on Israeli Dig

A cache of 11th century gold and silver items, including rare bracelets and anklets, were discovered at an archeological dig in Ramle, Israel.

Some of the ornate bracelets, reportedly in excellent condition, have plant motifs. One of the gold bracelets has the phrase "Full blessing" inscribed on it in Arabic, while one of the silver bracelets is engraved with quotes from the Koran and has an amulet. Two of the heaviest items, silver anklets, weigh about 170 grams each.

While similar jewelry such as the silver items have previously been found in digs in Jerusalem, this is the first time that items such as the gold bracelets have been found in an organized archeological excavation.

Other unearthed items include gold coins from the eighth to 11th century, bronze weights, and a scale.

Source material reprinted with permission from IDEX Magazine (http://www.idexonline.com/).