An ancient stash of silver coins, jewelry and other artifacts were discovered by cave explorers in Israel, CNN reported.
The 2,300-year-old cache, dating back to Alexander the Great, was recently discovered by a team of three spelunkers inside a secluded stalactite cave in northern Israel. They were tucked away inside a nook, leading experts to believe someone stashed them there with the intent of collecting the goods at a later date.
It's the second time civilians discovered priceless ancient artifacts in Israel in a matter of weeks.
The spelunkers, members of the Israeli Caving Club, reported their discovery to the Israel Antiquities Authority. Of particular interest are a pair of remarkably preserved silver earrings the likes of which antiquity experts have never seen.
"It's the first time archaeologists found them and it's very valuable," Eitan Klein, director of the authority's Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, told CNN "We hope that in our continuation of digging in the cave, we will find many other interesting and important findings."
There were also two coins found with the treasure, featuring an imposing image of the god Zeus perched on his throne. The other side shows Alexander the Great, who ruled the area when the coins were minted sometime in the late 4th century B.C.
Archaeologists believe the collection of bracelets, rings, coins and earrings were originally stored inside a pouch.
"The valuables might have been hidden in the cave by local residents who fled there during the period of governmental unrest stemming from the death of Alexander, a time when the Wars of the Diadochi broke out in Israel between Alexander's heirs following his death," the Israel Antiquities Authority said according to CNN.
"Presumably, the cache was hidden in the hope of better days, but today we know that whoever buried the treasure never returned to collect it," the authority said.
The cave where the discovery was made has already proven to be a promising archaeological site.
A search at the site on Saturday turned up artifacts dating back 3,000 years to the Biblical period and 6,000 years to the Chalcolithic period.
