A1,000-year-old hoard of gold coins has been unearthed at a famous Crusader battleground where Christian and Muslim forces once fought for control of the Holy Land, Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday. The treasure was dug up from the ruins of a castle in Arsuf, a strategic stronghold during the religious conflict waged in the 12th and 13th centuries. The 108 coins – one of the biggest collections of ancient coins discovered in Israel – were found hidden in a ceramic jug beneath a tile floor at the cliff-top coastal ruins, 15 km (9 miles) from Tel Aviv. “It is a rare find. We don’t have a lot of gold that had been circulated by the Crusaders,” said Oren Tal, a professor at Tel Aviv University who leads the dig. Arsuf, which overlooks the Mediterranean sea, was the site of a famous 12th century victory for England’s King Richard I – known as Lionheart – over Muslim leader Saladin. About 80 years later, in 1265, the Muslim army returned under a different general, and lay siege to the city for 40 days.
