JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two clay horse figurines of 2,800 and 2,200 years old respectively were discovered in northern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) reported on Tuesday.
The figurines were found by hikers, after the heavy rains in northern Israel exposed them to the ground. The discoveries were then handed over to the IAA.
The first and older figurine was found in the Beit She'an Valley in northeastern Israel, and dates back to the period of the Kingdom of Israel.
The figurine depicts a horse's head, with the rider's hand on its neck. It is typical of the Iron Age II from the 9th-7th centuries B.C., told from the style and the red stripes that adorn it and mark the reins and harness.
The second figurine was found near the archaeological mound of Tel Akko, located 1.5 km from the city of Acre in northwestern Israel. It dates to the Hellenistic period.
Attached to this horse were extensions depicting the harness, ears, and red-colored mane. The body of the horse did not survive, as most of the horses known from this period appear with riders on their backs.
