"When archaeologists excavated it, they were surprised at how heavy it was, weighing 9 kg (just shy of 20 lbs). The pot was then opened at the Sharjah Archaeology Authority research laboratory, revealing 387 single-sided coins and 22 two-sided coins weighing between 16 and 17 grams apiece. The earliest of the coins depict Alexander the Great wearing the Nemean lion skin, trademark of Hercules, on the obverse, and Zeus enthroned with the eagle on his staff on the reverse."
"Located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Mleiha was one of the most important cities in the Arabian Peninsula during the pre-Islamic period. Believed to have been the capital of the Kingdom of Oman, it was a thriving desert farming community sustained by an underground irrigation system known as falaj, and a stop on the trade routes that connected India and the Mediterranean."
A pottery jar unearthed in Mleiha in 2021 held 409 silver tetradrachm coins tightly packed and weighing about 9 kg. Laboratory opening revealed 387 single-sided coins and 22 two-sided coins each weighing 16–17 grams. Early coins depict Alexander the Great with the Nemean lion skin and Zeus enthroned; single-sided pieces show Zeus enthroned, while later issues replace Greek inscriptions with Aramaic and local iconography. Mleiha, located between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, served as a pre-Islamic regional capital and trade hub sustained by falaj irrigation. Hellenistic-style coinage circulated along trade routes connecting India and the Mediterranean and was adapted locally.
Read at www.thehistoryblog.com
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