Ancient Cave Pearls with Artifacts Discovered in Jerusalem Tunnel

Researchers uncovered rare mineral formations containing pottery and plaster fragments in a historic water system dating back to the Iron Age.

Fifty cave pearls, a rare type of speleothem, were found in the Joweizeh Spring Tunnel near Jerusalem, with 14 containing pottery fragments and two containing ancient plaster.
This marks the first recorded instance of man-made artifacts serving as nuclei for cave pearl formation, with objects dating from the Iron Age to the Byzantine period.
The tunnel, constructed during the Iron Age II as part of a royal estate, spans 232 meters and was used and renovated across multiple historical periods, including the Hellenistic and Roman eras.
Analysis revealed that some pottery fragments featured cobalt-rich coatings, linking them to imported ceramics from regions like Cyprus and Ephesus during the Hellenistic period.
The discovery highlights the intersection of natural processes and human activity, offering new insights into ancient engineering and water management systems in the Southern Levant.