A Study of a Late Fifth Century BCE Jewelry, Hacksilber and Coin Hoard from the Samaria Region

Abstract

A small silver hoard purportedly found in the environs of Samaria during the 1970s is discussed below. The hoard consists of 25 silver-alloy items and includes jewelry, Hacksilber and two late fifth-century BCE coins from Sidon and Philistia, which provide its approximate burial date. The hoard was found within a ceramic pyxis. The items were studied from typological and archaeo-metallurgical perspectives (SEM–EDS chemical analysis), as well as thin-section petrographic analysis. The inclusion of the Sidonian and Philistian coins may demonstrate the initial and partial state of monetization within the southern Levant and corresponds with the recorded circulation patterns for these coin types during the period.