A gold ring believed to be approximately 2,300 years old was recently discovered during archaeological excavations in Jerusalem’s City of David, marking the second such find in less than a year from the same site, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday. The ring, set with a red gemstone, is thought to have belonged to a child or adolescent who lived in Jerusalem during the Early Hellenistic period, shortly after the conquests of Alexander the Great.

“We sifted the dirt through a sieve, right near the excavation area, and suddenly Ben, who works with me, pulls a gold ring out of the dirt. At first, he was sure it must be a modern item dropped by one of our excavators, but when I examined the ring, I immediately assessed it as something ancient. We called over the archaeologists, everyone gathered around us and marveled at the special find; it was very exciting,” said Rivka Lengler, one of the excavators.

This newly discovered ring bears a striking resemblance to a slightly larger gold ring found just months earlier in the same area. Lengler noted, “Already at first glance, you could see its great similarity to the ring discovered in our excavation only a few months ago, just that this one was even smaller. When I held this ring in my hand, I felt part of my history. I felt that I could actually touch and connect with the people who lived here in Jerusalem thousands of years ago,” Lengler added.