JERUSALEM, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a pyramid-shaped structure near the Dead Sea that dates back around 2,200 years, according to a statement issued by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on Tuesday.
The discovery was made during ongoing excavations along the Zohar Stream in the Judean Desert, near the southern shore of the Dead Sea.
The team also uncovered a treasure trove of ancient artifacts at the site, including documents written in Greek on papyrus, weapons, wooden tools, furniture, bronze vessels, fabrics, and bronze coins of the Ptolemies and Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of the Seleucid Empire.
These findings date back to the Ptolemies' and Seleucids' ruling periods over the land of Israel.
The newly discovered pyramid-shaped structure, built from large hand-hewn stones weighing hundreds of kilograms each, stands alongside a way station.
The archaeologists believe the structure may have served as a guard tower, possibly overseeing an important trade route for transporting valuable Dead Sea resources like salt and bitumen to coastal ports.
However, they mentioned other possibilities, such as the structure marking a grave or serving as a monument.
The Zohar Stream excavation is part of a larger national project launched eight years ago by the IAA to protect archaeological sites from ongoing illicit excavations and looting in the region.
