Lifeguard stumbles upon relic
2008-07-13 20:02
Jerusalem - An Israeli lifeguard has accidentally discovered an ancient artefact - while taking his regular morning swim.
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday that the object the lifeguard turned over was a 2 500 year old, eye-shaped marble disc that was attached to ships to ward off the evil eye.
Experts say the relic, discovered off the coast Palmahim beach in southern Israel where the ancient Yavne-Yam port city once stood, dates back to the 5th or 4th century BC.
The white disc, flat on one side and convex on the other, measures 20 centimetres in diameter. The centre of the discus is perforated, and the remains of two circles are painted around its centre.
Archaeologists have turned up a wealth of artefacts in the area.
- AP