約旦河谷考古遺址發現 160 枚硬幣，擁有 2,100 年歷史

這些硬幣可追溯到亞歷山大·詹尼烏斯 (Alexander Jannaeus) 統治時期（約公元前 103 至 76 年），他既是哈斯蒙尼王朝的大祭司，也是國王

A large hoard of 160 coins, dating back over 2,100 years, has been discovered at an archaeological site in the Jordan Valley.

約旦河谷的一處考古遺址發現了一大堆 160 枚硬幣，其歷史可追溯至 2,100 多年前。

The coins, which were found by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, belong to the period of Alexander Jannaeus, who ruled as both a high priest and a king of the Hasmoneans from 103 to 76 B.C. The Hasmoneans were a dynasty of Jewish kings who established a kingdom covering present-day Israel, the West Bank and parts of neighboring regions, starting in 167 B.C., when Jewish inhabitants of the area revolted against the Seleucid Empire and managed to seize portions of it. During the first century B.C., the Roman Republic conquered the Hasmoneans' territory and permitted King Herod to establish his own kingdom.

這些硬幣由海法大學的考古學家發現，屬於亞歷山大·詹內烏斯(Alexander Jannaeus) 時期，他在公元前103 年至公元前76 年期間以大祭司和國王的身份統治著哈斯蒙尼王朝。反抗塞琉古帝國，並成功奪取了該帝國的部分領土。在西元前一世紀，羅馬共和國征服了哈斯蒙尼王朝的領土，並允許希律王建立自己的王國。

According to a translated statement from the University of Haifa, the coins feature engravings of eight pointed stars and inscriptions in both Aramaic and Greek, identifying Alexander Jannaeus and indicating that the coins were minted in the 25th year of his reign. This type of coin was produced around 80 or 79 B.C., the statement adds.

根據海法大學的翻譯聲明，這些硬幣上刻有八顆尖角星星，並刻有阿拉姆語和希臘語銘文，表明亞歷山大·詹尼烏斯的身份，並表明這些硬幣是在他統治第25年鑄造的。聲明補充說，這種硬幣是在公元前 80 或 79 年左右生產的。

"It is a very common coin type," Shay Bar, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa leading the team, told Live Science in an email. However, he noted that Hasmonean coins are not typically found in large hoards in the region, making this discovery unusual.

「這是一種非常常見的硬幣類型，」領導團隊的海法大學考古學家謝伊·巴爾在一封電子郵件中告訴《生活科學》。然而，他指出，哈斯蒙尼硬幣通常不會在該地區的大型儲藏室中發現，這使得這項發現變得不同尋常。

The archaeologists uncovered the hoard near a collapsed wall in the food preparation area of a building, which might provide clues about why it was buried there. The building was located at the archaeological site of Rujm es-Sia in the Jordan Valley, which served as a way station for travelers heading to the nearby Hasmonean fortress of Sartaba, the statement said.

考古學家在一棟建築的食物準備區倒塌的牆壁附近發現了這個寶藏，這可能提供了為什麼它被埋在那裡的線索。聲明稱，該建築位於約旦河谷的 Rujm es-Sia 考古遺址，該遺址是前往附近薩爾塔巴哈斯莫尼安堡壘的旅客的中轉站。

However, the precise reason for burying the hoard remains unknown, according to Bar.

然而，巴爾表示，埋藏這些寶藏的確切原因仍不清楚。

"The question of deposition intent is very hard to answer in archaeology," Bar said. It could have been concealed during a period of unrest, he suggested. Alternatively, it might not have been deliberately hidden at all; it could have been part of a cash desk for individuals selling food, according to Bar. Another possibility is that it was placed in the wall as an offering or foundation deposit, a practice that was uncommon during this period, Bar said.

「沉積意圖的問題在考古學中很難回答，」巴爾說。他表示，這可能是在動盪時期被隱藏的。或者，它可能根本不是故意隱藏的；巴爾表示，它可能是銷售食品的個人收銀台的一部分。巴爾說，另一種可能性是，它被作為祭品或基金會存款放置在牆上，這種做法在這段時期並不常見。

The excavation of the site and examination of the remains are still in progress. A study on the coin hoard will be published in the future.

遺址發掘和遺骸檢查仍在進行中。關於硬幣囤積的研究將在未來發表。