1000-Year-Old Artifact Found While Digging... Discovered by Palestinian Farmer

Byzantine Era Mosaic Floor Decoration
Discovered in Palestinian Refugee Camp

Byzantine-era mosaic decoration discovered in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] A mosaic floor decoration from the Byzantine era, estimated to have been completed between the 5th and 7th centuries AD, was discovered in a Palestinian refugee camp.

According to foreign media including The Guardian on the 19th (local time), this mosaic decoration was first found six months ago in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the Israeli border.

The decoration was accidentally discovered by a farmer named Salman Al-Nabahan. When the trees he had planted on his land failed to take root and died, he began digging the land with his son to find out the reason.

While digging, Al-Nabahan said his son's axe struck something hard and unfamiliar. He stated, "We searched on the internet and found out that it was a mosaic decoration from the Byzantine era."

He added, "I consider this a treasure more precious than anything else," and said, "This is not a personal discovery but belongs to all Palestinian people."

The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that the discovered floor decoration consists of panels depicting social lifestyles and animals from the Byzantine era. The ministry said, "A national research team is collaborating with international experts and scientists from the French School of Archaeology." They also noted, "The archaeological discovery is still at an early stage," and "We hope to uncover more secrets and the value of this civilization."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.