Palestinian farmer discovers ancient byzantine mosaic in Gaza
A farmer in Palestine has stumbled across a large Byzantine mosaic while planting an olive tree.
Suleiman al-Nabahin discovered the ancient mosaic in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza strip. Due to the ongoing conflict with Israel, currently, it is estimated 30,000 Palestinians live in this camp and don’t have access to a working sewage system or clean water.
Work is currently ongoing alongside archaeologists from the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem to explore the mosaic, and they have already found several large panels.
René Elter, an archaeologist from the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, told the AP: “These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the graphic representation and the complexity of the geometry.”
Archaeologists claim the mosaic was laid during the time when Palestine was a Byzantine province after it had been conquered by Muslims, and it was laid between 390 CE until 634–36 CE.
The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities added in a statement to Heritage Daily: “This provides us with historical information and details about the ancient civilizations and anthropology in Gaza, the historical and economic relations with the ancient regional environment and the status of Palestine across the world.”
