An eight-year-old Israeli boy recently discovered an ancient treasure while visiting the Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert.
Dor Wolynitz, who is from Rehovot, was enjoying a family retreat organized by a paratrooper reserve unit when he found a 1,700-year-old Roman statuette fragment, Fox News reported Monday.
He told the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) he was searching for things on the ground that he could use for show-and-tell in class and, “Suddenly, I noticed an interesting stone with stripes lying on the ground, and picked it up.”
“It seemed like an unusual object to me, so I showed it to Akiva [Goldenhersh], an archaeologist and my dad’s friend, who was with us on our trip,” he explained.
A photo shows a smiling Dor holding the fragment:
It is a piece of a small figurine showing folds of clothing that appeared to be a cloak, according to Archeology News.
“Laboratory analysis by geologist Dr. Nimrod Wieler identified the material as a light phosphorite mineral, which is common in the Negev Desert. Because the raw material is local, researchers believe the statuette was likely produced in the region rather than imported from elsewhere,” the outlet said, adding the style matched the Roman period.
Although researchers have so far been unable to identify the figure, it may represent the Roman god, Jupiter, or the deity known as Zeus-Dushara.
“Dushara was an important Nabataean god who later became associated with Zeus through cultural contact between local desert populations and the wider Greco-Roman world,” the article continued.
“This possible connection is significant because the Ramon Crater region stood along the ancient Incense Route, a major trade network linking the Far East with Mediterranean ports. During the Roman and Nabataean periods, caravans carrying spices, incense, and luxury goods crossed this harsh desert landscape. Archaeological remains found along the route continue to show how trade also carried religious ideas, artistic styles, and cultural traditions across large distances,” the Fox News article read, adding that such objects offer a glimpse into the daily life and beliefs of ancient people.
Dor is seen in video footage walking through the area where he found the ancient treasure:
The child was awarded a certificate to recognize the fact he took special care to report the find to researchers so it could be preserved and studied.