Many important archaeological finds have been made by chance over the years. In Israel, a happy boy stumbled upon a very important historical artifact while searching for mushrooms. He found an important Byzantine inscription on a marble slab. The find shows how ordinary citizens can help archaeologists dig our heritage.
Thirteen-year-old Stav Meir, along with his father, siblings, and cousins went on a journey to collect mushrooms, not far from the northern Israeli city of Caesarea. Recently, there were heavy rains in the area, and the family decided that now was the time to look for mushrooms. When searching for some edible mushrooms, Stav discovered something surprising. In the muddy ground, he saw a marble slab on which was some kind of inscription.
Teenager led to discovery
Becoming in an interview with the Israeli media, he said that he immediately realized that it was something ancient. He studied archeology at his school in seventh grade. The boy has become one of the thousands of Israeli young people who every year take part in educational programs organized by the Israel Antiquities Agency, The Jerusalem Post reports. Each year, employees of educational centers run by the agency attend schools and tell students about the rich history and archeology of their country.
A million matches took to create a “space” chain reaction rocket: video
Teamwork and other secrets to success for financial advisors
Craft from burlap and pages of old books: how to make a decorative butterfly
The boy immediately called his father to see what he found. Becoming told the Jewish Press that because of the agency’s program, he can easily identify antiquities when he sees them. It seems that the artifact was discovered as a result of recent heavy rains that regularly occur in Israel.
Ancient Byzantine inscription
In accordance with local law, any alleged discovery of an artifact that may have historical significance must be reported to the Israel Antiquities Agency. Dr. Peter Handelman was sent to investigate the find, and he confirmed that the boy had found something really important.
An archaeologist told The Jewish Press that it is a marble slab with a tombstone engraved in Greek and decorated with a cross. The Byzantine inscription is written in capital letters and is still very legible.
