Imagine going out on your first archaeological dig and making the discovery of a lifetime. It seems like the stuff of daydreams and fantasies, but that’s what actually happened to Megan Webb, an American college student. She had decided to earn some summer credits by volunteering for a dig in Israel, only to find a rare portrait of Alexander the Great engraved on a carnelian gemstone. It appears to be part of a part of some ancient fashion jewelry, or a signet ring. While Ms. Webb doesn’t get to keep the piece, the find probably will look good on her application for graduate admission. The value of the piece is said to be priceless in historical value. The stone is less than one half an inch long. It is less than a quarter inch wide. It was an easy thing to miss, Professor Andrew Stewart of the Tel Dor project in Israel admitted to The Seattle Times. Alexander is thought to be the first Greek ruler who took to commissioning artworks of himself. In a major effort to keep people he conquered in check, he had his visage engraved in coins, rings, and more propaganda material as a constant reminder of his influence and might. While you can find coins with Alexander’s image still on them, this find is rare because it comes on the face of a small gemstone.

The location of the find is also notable, in that Alexander’s kingdom stretched from Greece into Afghanistan. Even so, Israel was looked upon as the far corners of his empire, and yet, someone with enough wealth and influence was there to buy such a valuable item, where it was eventually lost. It is one of only about two or three dozen such surviving stone portraits of the great ruler from pre-Roman times. The find is exciting for the team of 20 students and professors that comprise the Tel Dor project, a joint venture between Israel and America. It’s unlikely such a find will ever be witnessed by any of that team again, and is truly a once in a lifetime achievement.