A Byzantine-era mosaic discovered last spring in the Gaza Strip is in danger of being destroyed from the constant conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The mosaic, considered “one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in Gaza” by experts, was discovered by a farmer living half a mile from the Israel border. The artifact, which could be vulnerable due to Hamas’s disregard for the preservation of ancient artifacts, consists of 17 iconographies of beasts and birds.
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“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,” Rene Elter, an archaeologist from the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, told the Associated Press. “Never have mosaic floors of this finesse, this precision in the graphics and richness of the colors been discovered in the Gaza Strip.”
Experts have estimated that the mural dates back to the 5th-7th century, but an excavation will be necessary to date the project. The excavation would also help identify what kind of building once surrounded the mosaic.
The Gaza Strip was considered a bustling trade route between Egypt and the Levant in ancient times. It is now located near the Israel and Egypt border and serves as the home to approximately 2 million people living under the Palestinian Authority. It continues to hold the remains of ancient civilizations, which are rarely protected, according to the outlet. Multiple sites have been destroyed in recent years from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Because of its close proximity to the Israeli border, the new discovery is at greater risk of being destroyed, and Hamas has paid little attention to preserving ancient remains. Bulldozers for Hamas destroyed large portions of a Bronze Age settlement to establish housing projects for employees in 2017. The settlement dated back 4,500 years.
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The territory’s Department of Antiquities said the mosaic was “a big archaeological discovery” but that it will provide more information after an announcement on the discovery is made, according to the outlet.
