Bureij mosaic

The Bureij mosaic is a Byzantine-era mosaic floor discovered under an olive orchard in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestine in 2022.[1] It was part of a Byzantine church,[2] and the mosaic was likely created between AD 390 and 634–636.[1] It is described as a "sprawling grid" with cartouches containing 17 animals, including geese, ducks, dogs, insects, goats, deer, and an octopus.[3][1][4] There are also geometric patterns and a border depicting a vine.[5] The mosaic underlies a 500-square-metre (5,400 sq ft) area from which three sections of earth have already been removed, with more remaining to be excavated.[5]

Farmer Salman al-Nabahin found the mosaic when he began investigating why his trees were not rooting properly.[1] The French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem is assisting with the excavation.[3] Archaeologist Rene Elter reported that the mosaic was in a "perfect state of conservation".[5] Further research is needed to determine whether the mosaic floor was installed in a private villa, a religious structure, or for some other purpose.[5]

The archaeological site is inaccessible due to the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and researchers are dependent on satellite imagery to monitor changes. A report compiling information collected between June and September 2024 noted that the site had been bulldozed and it is likely that such activity has damaged archaeological deposits close to the surface.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ornate Byzantine floor mosaic discovered by Palestinian farmer". The Guardian. Reuters. 19 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  2. ^ Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. p. 377.
  3. ^ a b Escalante-De Mattei, Shanti (20 September 2022). "Palestinian Farmer Unearths 1,500-Year-Old Byzantine Mosaic in the Gaza Strip". ARTnews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  4. ^ Velie, Elaine (21 September 2022). "Palestinian Farmer Accidentally Unearths Intact Byzantine Mosaic". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  5. ^ a b c d "Photos: Byzantine mosaics discovered under Gaza farm". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  6. ^ Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. p. 379.
  7. ^ Elter, René (18 May 2025), "Mosaïques du complexe ecclésiastique d'al-Burayj (al-Bureij)" [Mosaics of the Ecclesiastical Complex of al-Burayj (al-Bureij)], Gaza, inventaire d'un patrimoine bombardé (in French), retrieved 2025-07-22

31°25′55.9″N 34°24′49.0″E / 31.432194°N 34.413611°E / 31.432194; 34.413611

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.