Tel Aviv (DPA) – Israeli archaeologists say they have discovered a 1,000-year-old chicken egg just south of Tel Aviv.

During excavation work in an ancient cesspool, researchers found an intact egg, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday. According to the announcement, Lee Perry Gall of the Antiquities Agency said, “Even seen around the world, this is an extremely rare find.” Ancient ostrich eggs are discovered from time to time, but their shell is thick.

The chicken egg was therefore protected by soft human waste in the cesspool. It comes from Islamic times. Alla Nagorsky, the excavation director, spoke of an “astonishing” discovery and said: “Even today, eggs rarely survive long in supermarket cartons.”

According to the Antiquities Authority, poultry farming began in Israel about 2,300 years ago. From the 7th century after the birth of Christ, a marked decline in pork bones can be seen in the region – as a sign of the ban on pork in Islamic times.

Researcher Gall said that eggs and chicken would have served as substitutes for the protein. Unfortunately, there was a small crack in the egg, allowing most of the liquid to seep out. Only a little egg yolk was left and was kept for future DNA analysis. The excavation took place in the city of Javane.