Jewish students discover 900 year old jewelry in a Crusader-era kitchen

What did you bring to lost and found when you were a kid? Some interesting knick-knack from a tourist trap? Maybe something from your parent's workplace? Or, were you one of the kids clutching a volcanic geode like it was the latest and greatest thing? Whatever it was, it probably wasn't as cool as what student volunteers found during a recent excavation at Givat Tittora in Modi'in.

Givat Tittora has been the site of an ongoing excavation effort for the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The massive dig has been supported by a cooperative effort of local volunteers and schools. Each day, schoolchildren from grades 4-12 help with the dig while being given a cultural education on the importance of Israeli history and archeology.

Of course, history lessons pale in comparison to finding actual historical treasure! 

This was the case for Mati Yohanaoff and other students working through the inner courtyard of a 900 year old Crusader fortress. Digging through a kitchen area, they uncovered a trove of ancient jewelry lost to time. The items included bronze and silver rings, bracelets, hairpins, and earrings – everything you need to get ready for a night out.

How so much jewelry got lost in the first place though is a matter of speculation. This isn't like losing a bobby pin down the sofa cushions. Any jewelry, let alone any pieces made with precious metals would have been prized possessions for the cooking staff. It's likely that these items were among the most valuable they owned.

The most convincing theory is that the women preparing food would take the jewelry off prior to any cooking to preserve their luster and shine. Over time, it's not surprising that a few rings or earrings would be bumped off a table and roll somewhere out of the way. Add enough years, and you end up with a small collection of misplaced jewelry just waiting to be found.  

While the jewelry is the most exciting of the finds so far, the rest of the Crusader-era fortress has provided some interesting discoveries as well. As well as the usual things such as serving dishes, pots, and clay ovens, volunteers have also discovered the remnants of ancient foods! Long lasting evidence of meals gone-by such as olive pits, charred grape seeds, and animals bones have been found as well. 

Okay, so many some petrified pits and bones are not quite as exciting as the jewelry, but they are still interesting finds in their own right. 

This is just the start for the Givat Tittora dig. The IAA plans to continue the excavation with the help of local schools and volunteers for years to come. So far, volunteers have surfaced the courtyard of the ancient fortress, but it is suspected there is still more to find and the site will expand as more buildings and locations are unearthed. 

Today, Israeli students are finding leftovers and jewelry, who knows what they may find tomorrow. Israel is a land that never seems to run out of fascinating secrets waiting to be uncovered.