A salient Bronze Age coin dress with the image of the papist moon goddess Luna was of late unearthed along the shores of the Carmel glide at Haifa , Israel .
The “ tails ” side of the coin depicts the zodiac foretoken Cancer beneath a portraiture of the moon goddess Luna , and the “ head ” side shows it was minted under the principle of Romanic emperor Antoninus Pius ( 138 to 161 CE ) in Alexandria , Egypt . The coin bears the date “ year eight ’ , meaning it was forged in the 8th class of Antoninus Pius ’s rule , around 144/145 CE .
researcher on the project consider it is just one in a series of thirteen coins , each evidence one of the 12 dissimilar signs of the zodiac and a net one depicting the complete zodiac wheel .
The coin bearing the image of Luna, the Roman goddess of the moon. Below it appears a sign of cancer luck. Image credit: Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority
“ These finds , which were lost at sea and disappeared from muckle for century and thousands of years , have been unco well preserved ; some are extremely rarified and their discovery completes part of the historical puzzle of the area ’s past , ” order Sharvit .
Antoninus Pius was an exceptional Roman Emperor for a number of reasons . His sovereignty fell slap bang in the midriff of the “ Pax Romana ” , Latin for “ R.C. peace ” , a snippet of Romanic story that ’s seen assomewhat of a golden age . Over the line of around 200 eld between 27 BCE and 180 CE , the Romans managed to sustain their colossal majestic business leader while internally enjoying a period of relative peace , order , and prosperity .
It ’s significant that the pattern ofAntoninus Piusdid not see any document revolt or was mostly peaceful . For this reasonableness , he is seen as something of an unusual person in Roman account .
The other side of the coin shows a portrait of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. Image credit: Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority
“ Israel ’s territorial waters contain born resources and cultural assets that must be explored and protect in light of different interest and potential development . The marine survey off Haifa is part of this process . The rare coin recovered during the survey is a vivid admonisher of the importance of the survey , ” explain Eskosido
