Palestinian Man Discovers Ancient Art in Gaza
2022-09-21
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1A Palestinian man in Gaza has discovered one of the greatest historical treasures ever found in the area, experts say.
2Archaeologists and other researchers are excited about the find: a mosaic floor.
3A mosaic is a surface made with small pieces of colored glass or stone, sometimes creating a picture of something.
4But the discovery is also leading people to demand better protection of Gaza's ancient objects.
5Such objects are threatened by a lack of awareness and resources as well as the risk of conflict between Israel and Gaza.
6Last spring, Salman al-Nabahin was planting a new olive tree when his shovel hit a hard object.
7He called his son for help in digging out the large piece.
8It took three months before they fully uncovered a mosaic floor from the Byzantine period, more than 1,000 years old.
9The colors are still bright and the piece is in good condition.
10The mosaic design includes images of birds and other animals.
11The farmer's property is just a kilometer from the Israeli border.
12René Elter is an archaeologist from the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem.
13"These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza,"
14he said.
15Elter added the mosaic dates back to a time between the 5th and the 7th centuries.
16But he said a careful study must be done to learn when exactly it was built and whether it was part of a religious or non-religious building.
17Elter, who has done research in Gaza in the past, has not been able to visit the site.
18But he viewed a series of still images, or photographs, and videos from local research partners.
19The Gaza Strip, a Palestinian coastal area between Israel and Egypt, was a busy trade path between Egypt and the Levant in ancient times.
20The area is full of remains of ancient civilizations, from the Bronze Age to the Islamic and Ottoman eras.
21However, the treasures are rarely protected.
22In the past, they were stolen.
23In recent years, some were damaged or destroyed by development projects or fighting with Israel.
24An Israeli-Egyptian blockade was established after the Hamas group took leadership of Gaza in 2007.
25The blockade has hurt Gaza's economy, leaving few resources for the protection of ancient objects.
26Hamas itself pays little attention to the care of ancient sites as it tries to meet the needs of a quickly growing population.
27More than 2.3 million Gazans live in the 300-square-kilometer territory.
28In 2017, digging machines destroyed large parts of a site containing remains from a 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement to make housing projects for Hamas employees.
29Early this year, machines digging for an Egyptian-financed housing project in northern Gaza found a Roman-era tomb.
30Among the few protected ancient sites in Gaza are the St. Hilarion monastery, built in the late Roman Empire, and a Byzantine church that aid groups repaired and opened this year.
31While these sites also have mosaics, Elter said the latest discovery, in the central Gaza town of Bureij, is "exceptional."
32Al-Nabahin has covered the mosaic floor with metal sheets.
33He said he hopes to receive payment for protecting the special discovery on his property.
34I'm John Russell.