The archaeologists believe the coins had been minted in the late fourth century BC at beginning of the Hellenistic Period during the reign of Alexander the Great. Zakai was recently spelunking with his father and a friend, all of whom are members of the Israeli Caving Club, when Zakai spotted a shiny silver object in one of the most well-hidden stalactite caves in northern Israel. Story highlights Spelunkers in a stalactite cave stumble across silver coins and jewelry 
 
 Antiquities authority: The treasure might have been hidden during a period of unrest 
 
 The find leads archaeology officials to artifacts from even older periods 
 
 (CNN) Hen Zakai loves exploring darkness. PHOTOS: Coins, Jewelry From Alexander the Great Era 
 
 On one side of the coins was an image of Alexander the Great, while the other side portrayed an arm raised Zeus sitting on his throne. “After the gold treasure from Caesarea, this is the second time in the past month that citizens have reported significant archeological finds and we welcome this important trend,” Amir Ganor, director of the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery in the Israel Antiquities Authority, said.
– Last month it was amateur scuba divers stumbling upon a treasure trove of submerged coins in Israel. Now three amateur spelunkers from the Israeli Caving Club have alerted authorities to a stash of ancient coins and jewels that appear to date back 2,300 years, to the time of Alexander the Great. What's more, the Israel Antiquities Authority says that archaeologists who further explored the hard-to-reach stalactite-filled cave over the weekend found "evidence of human habitation" dating back 6,000 years to the Chalcolithic period, reports Discovery. Some of the pottery vessels found in the cave had even merged with the limestone sediments. "Presumably the cache was hidden in the hope of better days, but today we know that whoever buried the treasure never returned to collect it," said an IAA statement, speculating that someone stashed it in the chaos following Alexander's death. Among the jewels, two silver coins allowed archaeologists to date the stash to the reign of Alexander the Great; on one side is a depiction of the man, while on the other Zeus is raising his arms on a throne. Silver jewelry—including rings, bracelets, and earrings—are part of the find, which researchers say was probably initially stashed in a cloth pouch, reports CNN. The intricate and well-preserved earrings are thought to be especially valuable. An IAA official applauded the cavers' "exemplary civic behavior." (Not all spelunkers in Israel have been quite so honest of late.)