Fourth graders spot special-looking stone — and pick up 2,000-year-old find in Israel
A trio of fourth grade boys spotted a special-looking stone on a regular walk around their community. Turns out, they picked up a 2,000-year-old artifact.
The kids were walking around kibbutz Parod just like any other day when a particular stone caught their attention, Israel’s Ministry of Education North District said in a Sunday, Dec. 18 news release.
The boys pulled the item out of the ground and found themselves holding a piece of clay pottery, the ministry said.
Archaeologists identified the pottery as a 2,000-year-old clay oil candle, dating back to Israel’s ancient Roman period, experts with the Israel Antiquities Authority said in the release. Photos shared by the Israel Ministry of Education show various clay oil candles.
The discovery was an extraordinary surprise, the Ministry of Education North District said. The boys gave the candle to the Israel Antiquities Authority and received certificates of appreciation in return.
Kibbutz Parod is about 110 miles north of Jerusalem. A kibbutz is a type of Israeli community, usually centering around agriculture, where profits and wealth are shared among the collective, according to Britannica.
Facebook Translate and Google Translate were used to translate news releases from Israel’s Ministry of Education and Israel’s Ministry of Education North District.
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Fourth graders spot special-looking stone — and pick up 2,000-year-old find in Israel."
