Magnificent ancient mosaic found near Tel Aviv returns home

An exceptionally well-preserved Roman floor mosaic displaying a rich selection of fish, animals, birds and ships has returned to the place where it was first found in a Tel Aviv suburb after a decade-long tour of some of the world’s best museums.

The 1,700-year-old mosaic, from the late Roman period, was discovered in 1996 during highway construction, but was not exhibited until 2009, when sufficient funds were donated to preserve it.

The colorful mosaic, 55 feet long (17 meters) and about 29 feet wide (9 meters) may have served as the foyer floor of a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood in Lod, near present-day Tel Aviv, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement.

“The owner was probably a very rich merchant because he traveled all over the world and he saw things that all the ships and fish exhibited in the mosaic,” said archaeologist Hagit Torge of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The design of the mosaic was influenced by North African mosaics and lacks any depiction of people, suggesting that it may have belonged to a Christian or a Jew who wanted to avoid pagan attributes such as depiction of Roman gods, said archaeologist Amir Gorzalczany of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The mosaic will now be exhibited at an archeological center built where it was found, in Lod.



PUKmedia / Reuters