Palestinian farmer makes an astounding mosaic discovery while planting olive trees
(3 min read) Some accidents are as fortunate as they get. Just ask Salman al-Nabahin, a Palestinian farmer who accidentally found one of the most glorious mosaic discoveries in recent history.
Nabahin and his young son were puzzled as to why a considerable number of olive trees in their otherwise healthy and fertile orchard were struggling to grow. Adamant on finding the root of the problem, they started digging further under the said trees. It wasn’t long before Nabahin’s son hit the hard surface with his mattock. After some careful digging, they’ve partially unearthed one of the most well-preserved, ornate Byzantine mosaics to date.
Some other farmers would probably get agitated because his trees can’t take root on the said piece of land, but Nabahin was familiar with his country’s cultural heritage, so he knew better. Once he got home he started browsing the internet for some possible clues and he quickly discovered that the intricate mosaic artwork probably belongs to the Byzantine era.
“I searched on the internet…We learned that it was a mosaic belonging to the Byzantine era”, said Nabahin, adding,” I see it as a treasure, dearer than a treasure. It isn’t personal, it belongs to every Palestinian.”
The wonderful ornate mosaic floor artwork depicts various birds and other animals frozen in motion. The sheer complexity of the geometry and precision with which this amazing mosaic floor was created, as well as the exceptional quality of the artwork itself, makes this mosaic find one of the most valuable mosaic discoveries in recent times.
The Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Roman Empire, was formed after the final collapse of the Roman Empire, in 395 CE. It existed as a continuation of the Roman empire in the eastern provinces, including Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Southern Italy, Israel, and Palestine. The Byzantine Empire was so well solidified and trained that it survived the devastating fall of the Western Roman Empire, and it continued thriving for another thousand years until the Ottoman empire took over Constantinople in 1453.
The Byzantine era is known for its glorious religious art. From its astounding architectural efforts to mosaics, sculptures, and frescoes, this was truly the golden era when it comes to celebrating religion. Byzantine art was so prestigious that it became one of the formative influences on the magnificent Italian Renaissance.
Illustrious marble columns, marvelous, richly decorated domes, and sumptuous decoration were essential parts of Byzantine artistic achievements. From alabaster sheets and copious ornamentation to the extensive use of gorgeous mosaics with golden backgrounds, the Byzantine era was one of the most artistically innovative and rich periods in human history.
Keeping all of that in mind, it is no wonder that Gaza is full of archeological sites and amazing relics. However, due to the lack of any serious funding in the area, much of the preservation of these great cultural finds have come from various international groups.
“The archeological discovery is still in its early stages and we await to know more of the secrets and civilization values”, said the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in one of the recent statements,” National research teams are working in partnership with international experts and scientists from the French Archaeology School.”
Salman al-Nabahin’s discovery is just one of the many archeological gems that waited to be found in this rich Palestinian area. Who knows how many more are patiently biding their time under the loamy soil of Gaza.
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31 Comments
That is so amazing! No one ever thinks they’ll find something like this in practically their own backyard.
What a find, and looks like it is in very good condition, I would love to mke a find like that
Wow! This is so cool. I can only imagine the farmer’s surprise and excitement. History is everywhere!
That is an awesome discovery that the farmer made on his own property!
This is truly remarkable! Wow! What an incredible archaeological discovery. Mosaics are beautiful and an important part of history. I really enjoyed reading this article.
What an INCREDIBLE archaeological find!
Wow imagine being the one who found those under their trees. I don’t know what I’d do if I found mosaics in my garden x
That is so cool, and I absolutely love history and finding something like this would be crazy cool. What a cool discovery!
This is so gorgeous! I love the idea of having mosaic in my yard, even better if I could discover it there!
My goodness how incredible and the condition in which he found it is amazing too! It is so beautiful!
Wow this has to be a dream – making a discovery like this. It truly must be magical to unearth art and history in this way.
That is SO amazing!!! What an incredible find!
Wow it is so amazing when they find entire floors that are so intact! Mosaics do last so long, which is great to see as a callback to history.
How beautiful! I love anything mosaic and this find would be great to see in person one day.
Oh wow that is honestly incredible. It’s amazing some of the things that get found. It’s beautiful
Wow, what a discovery!! And it looks absolutely stunning and such a piece of artwork indeed
Wow what a find! Love the design too, especially the rabbits.
It is amazing and what a wonderful surprise for the farmer who went in just to plant some olive trees.
Well that would be a wonderful surprise. It would thwart the planting plan though. No way you’d want to cover that back up.
Also, I love his attitude about it. It really is a gift for everyone.
What a great discovery indeed! You can never imagine what is in someone`s backyard. It can be as incredible as these mosaic arts.
oh my God! it really is astonishing! I didn’t know about that, it didn’t come near me on the news. but it’s just wow! the level of preservance is fantastic, such a rare lucky find. I find the mosaic itself very beautiful as well, which contributs to my fascination even more
This is so cool… I have always wished I had done archeology 😉 So interesting and I love history!
It is great reading how someone stumbled upon something valuable. It has to be an incredible feeling.
This mosaic looks stupendous! I can’t wait to learn more about it.
This is absolutely amazing. It’s like finding a hidden gem in real life. I know I would have been shocked, but also super excited to find something so gorgeous.
I know I would be amazed if I was that farmer and I made a discovery like this. It’s always great when you find something especially something of this magnitude.
Wow how interesting is this. No one would ever think they will find something like this.
That’s incredible! What a discovery to make. Good to see that it wasn’t damaged and is in such good condition.
What an amazing find, the mosaic is beautiful and so intricate. Its a gem of a find.
Wow! what an amazing discovery – almost a dream come true really.