Gaza farmer finds ancient Byzantine mosaic while planting tree | NOW

Six months ago, while Salman Al Nabahin was working in his olive grove in Gaza, he came across a treasure. While planting trees, the farmer discovered a mosaic floor from the Byzantine period (about 330 to 1453 AD).

Al Nabahin tried to figure out why some trees did not take root properly. He and his son started digging until his son hit something hard with his shovel. It turned out to be a mosaic floor.

“I looked for the find on the internet. We found out that the floor was from Byzantine times,” the farmer told the news agency. Reuters. “I see it as a precious treasure. It is not personal property, it belongs to all Palestinians.”

The mosaic floor is made up of tiles representing, among other things, colorful birds, rabbits and dogs. According to experts, it is one of the most important archaeological finds in Gaza.

Gaza was in ancient times an important place of trade for peoples such as the ancient Egyptians, Philistines and Romans. So there are many ancient treasures in the ground. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, local experts are working with French researchers to learn more about the mosaic floor.

Farmer Salman Al Nabahin’s son cleans the mosaic floor