Casesarea Maritima

Casesarea Maritima

 

Casesarea Maritima. The site plan displays the location of Field G where the coin hoard was unearthed. Since 1978, excavations in this field have exposed portions of the Roman and Byzantine period city. Map courtesy of JECM.

Hoarding the Gold Solidus

The Joint Expedition to Caesarea (JECM) has unearthed a spectacular hoard of gold coins during the summer season of its on-going excavation of the port city build by Herod, King of Judea. Excavators discovered 99 Byzantine solidi deposited in a carefully prepared hiding place as they worked to clarify the structure of what may be a large residence. The house lies in Field G between the Crusader fortifications and the north wall of Herod’s port. This high ground constituted a residential quarter of the Roman and Byzantine city.

 

Ninety-nine Byzantine solidi. An extraordinary gold coin hoard unearthed at Caesarea.

In 1978 work in area 5 of Field G revealed a peristyle structure with a mosaic floor along the east side of a pool. The peristyle contained evidence for five columns, either the base of the column or some marking in the plaster. Area 9 on the east side of area 5 produced a small street. On the west side of the street, excavation uncovered three small structures which we consider shops.