A 1,600-year-old mosaic uncovered during archaeological excavations in the city of Yavne in Israel's coastal plain region will soon be put on display in the plaza of the city's cultural center.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The mosaic was discovered during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority as part of mandatory explorations that preceded construction of a new residential neighborhood and supervised by Avishag Reiss of the IAA.
The dig, directed by Dr. Eli Haddad, Liat Nadav-Ziv and Dr. Jon Seligman, revealed extensive industrial zone that operated for several centuries.
According to the archaeologists, this was the first time that a pavement of this type had been uncovered in Yavne. They reported that it had been preserved in "excellent" condition, and believe that it might have been part of a "splendid residential building in a wealthy neighborhood adjacent to the industrial zone."
The multicolored mosaic pavement dates to the Byzantine period (the 4th century CE) and features colorful geometric motifs, surrounded by a rectangular black frame.
"At first, we did not realize that the floor was multicolored," said Haddad and Dr. Hagit Torgë.
"We assumed that it was a simple white mosaic paving belonging to yet another industrial installation. But black patches dotted around the mosaic suggested that it was more than one color and prompted us to remove the whitish patina that had coated it for years. The conservation director went to work cleaning the mosaic with a special acid, and to our astonishment, a colorful mosaic carpet was revealed, ornamented with geometric motifs," the experts said.
Once the mosaic had been documented, drawn and photographed in situ, it was removed and temporarily transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority's mosaic workshop at the Rockefeller Museum, where it has been treated and preserved by the IAA's conservation experts.
Meanwhile, the IAA and the city of Yavne cooperated to find a suitable location for the mosaic, which will be installed at a plaza near Yavne's city cultural center, with assistance from the Israel Lands Authority.
The municipality is currently preparing the infrastructure for the mosaic so it can be enjoyed by the city's residents and the rest of the public. The mosaic will be relocated and preserved using methods similar to the ancient technologies used to create it. The site will be open to the public while the mosaic is being put in place.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
