Archaeologists have discovered gold coins and artifacts estimated to be 2000 years old at the Tel Abrq archaeological site in the Emirate of Umm Al-Quwain, United Arab Emirates. Experts at the site found what they believe to be imitations of Roman gold coins dating back to the first century AD, along with two stone statues and an inscription in Aramaic.
Michele Delli Esposti, the director of the Italian archaeological mission in Umm Al-Quwain, described the discoveries as amazing, saying, "We recently came across this stunning discovery of some gold coins, which were in circulation in the first century AD. They are imitations of coins that were minted in the Roman Empire in France, specifically in Lyon."
Regarding the location where the latest discoveries were made, Rania Hussein, head of the Archaeology Department at the Tourism and Antiquities Department in Umm Al-Quwain, which collaborated with the Italian mission, stated: "We are at the Tel Abrq site, which dates from 2500 BC to 300 AD, and this is clearly evidenced in the archaeological layers of the site."
Rania Hussein added to Reuters that the new discoveries and other artifacts will be displayed in a new archaeology museum that will open soon, stating, "The department is currently working on preparing a unique and distinctive collection of artifacts from all the sites in the Emirate of Umm Al-Quwain from all historical periods, from the Neolithic era through all historical periods up to the pre-Islamic period."
