JERUSALEM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Intact pottery vessels dating back to over 2,000 years ago were salvaged from a cave on a 30-meter high cliff at the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday.
Two intact large wine amphoras (jars), several storage jars, a bowl, a cooking pot, two juglets and broken shards of several more jars were dug out from the cave.
Yinon Shivtiel, a speleologist, and senior lecturer in Zefat Academic College, surveyed Western Galilee of Israel to locate caves that served as shelters and hiding places in the ancient history of Israel, and discovered the cave with the hidden historical artifacts by chance.
"It is mind-boggling how the vessels were carried to the cave, which is extremely difficult to access," said Danny Syon, a senior archaeologist with IAA, who took part in the excavation mission.
The finds seem to date to the Hellenistic period as a first impression, between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C., said Syon.
"Considering that cooking and serving vessels were found, it would appear that those who brought them planned to live there for a while. We assume that whoever hid here escaped some violent event that occurred in the area," said Syon.
The vessels will be tested at IAA facility for restoration and research, in purpose to tie them to a known historical event.
Israeli Army secured the operation because of a sensible situation between Israel and Lebanon whose border is close to the cave that was found. The two hostile countries had two wars in the past 30 years.
