Items from the Tel el-Ajjul hoards. | Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Prof. Ayelet Gilboa and Dr. Tzilla Eshel (School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures) in collaboration with a team from the Hebrew University traced back the use of silver coins as a method of payment in the Levant as early as the Bronze Age – 3,600 years ago. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science identified Anatolia (Turkey) as the source of money indicates continuous and long and stable trade relations with Asia minor that were unknown to researchers until now. The silver coins were found together, wrapped in cloth and kept in pottery. READ MORE