Two Residents of Fureidis Caught Collecting Ancient Coins at Archaeological Site

The Israel Antiquities Authority filed charges on Wednesday against Amir Varkani, 27, and Yosef Varkani, 33, both residents of the village of Fureidis. The two were caught on March 9 while allegedly collecting antiquities at the archaeological site of Hurvat Hadarim (Hurvat Haidra), located west of Ein Ayala near the Carmel coast. According to the indictment, they arrived in a private vehicle equipped with four metal detectors, digging tools, flashlights, headphones, gloves, and specialized bags for their search equipment. They scanned the ground with metal detectors and dug whenever signals indicated metal, successfully uncovering artifacts.

Before leaving the site, inspectors from the Antiquities Authority and the Nature and Parks Authority, accompanied by a police officer, apprehended the suspects with 13 ancient bronze coins, three bronze items, two lead artifacts, and 14 unidentified metal objects. The site, declared an antiquities site in 1964, is one of the most significant archaeological locations between Ein Ayala and Tel Dor. Excavations have revealed remains of ancient settlements, buildings, tombs, quarries, a square structure, and mosaics, with additional findings from the Roman period indicating long-term habitation.

Inspector Nir Distelfeld, head of the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, emphasized that illegal antiquities excavation causes irreparable damage to historical knowledge, beyond the monetary value of stolen items. The Antiquities Authority highlighted that unauthorized digging erases scientific context and historical information that cannot be restored. This case follows another recent incident where Distelfeld caught antiquities thieves in the act at Hurvat Hermesh near the Elikim interchange during rocket alerts and interceptions, underscoring ongoing challenges in protecting Israel's heritage sites.