A spectacular mosaic dating back to Roman times has been unearthed in the town of Rastan in the province of Homs in northern Syria.
The wonderful piece of 1600 years In an excellent state of preservation, it includes representations of the Trojan War and of the sea god Neptune with 40 of his lovers.
The discovery was made in the soil of a ruined building from the 4th century AD which had been bought by businessmen Nabou Museum in Lebanon and delivered to Syria. It has been cataloged by experts as one of the “rarest” ever discovered.
According to the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria (DGAM)it is the first significant find in the region since the start of the long-running Syrian civil war in 2011.
Features of the amazing Roman mosaic
Detail of the exceptional Roman mosaic discovered in Syria. Credit: Louai Beshara / AFP
The find, which occupies an area of 120 square meters consists of three frames and a design in the center representing Achilles. It shows a representation of Amazon (mythical female warriors).
Similarly, a notable scene in the play shows the Greek hero Hercules performing one of his twelve labors, and another depicts Hercules. Neptunethe ancient Roman god of the sea, with forty sea nymphs.
Each beautifully crafted slab depicted warriors, identified by name and brandishing weapons. Around him, pictures of ancient greek and roman mythologyespecially from the epic ‘The Iliad‘, which tells of the war between the city of Troy and the Greeks. The details on the slab also clearly include the names of the Greek kings who participated in the Trojan War.
The scenes are made up of square-shaped colored stones or tesserae measuring approximately 1.2 cm each.
“What we have before us is globally rare find“, said Associated pressHumam Saad, Associate Director of Archaeological Excavations and Research at the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria.
Saad also indicated that “there is no such mosaic”and clarified that the work is not “the oldest” in Syria, but “the most complete and the most exceptional“.
The inhabitants of Rastan admire the discovered mosaic. Credit: AP.
Much remains to be discovered!
So far, experts have not been able to identify the type of building the piece was found in, whether bathhouses or otherwise, as they are yet to finish to dig.
Archaeologists they only excavated 20 meters long and six meters wide of the mosaic, but they believe there is much more to be found. The mosaic probably extends to uncleared areas, which will be identified after further investigation.
In Roman times the City of Rastan It was a kingdom of great importance which is mentioned in ancient texts from the 4th century AD. Syria was home to ancient civilizations and empires, from the Canaanites to the Umayyads, to the Greeks, Romans and Byzantinestherefore, is undoubtedly full of archaeological treasures.
References: National Geographic / Live Science.
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