Tucked under one of the most historic complexes in all of Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered the largest section yet of the city’s “First Wall,” dating to the time of the Hasmoneans (or Maccabees).

“The newly uncovered section, known in ancient historical sources as the ‘First Wall,’ is particularly impressive in both its size and its degree of preservation,” Amit Re’im and Marion Zindel, excavation directors for the Israel Antiquities Authority, wrote in a statement. “The wall is meticulously built of large, heavy stones, with a chiseled boss typical of this period.”