Digs at Tel Shikmona unearth 6th-century floor mosaics
Researchers say the well-preserved mosaics date back to the Byzantine period and were part of an ecclesiastic structure.
By BEN HARTMANShikmona discovery mosaic 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
Intricate 6th-century floor mosaics have been uncovered at Tel Shikmona park in the North, the University of Haifa announced on Tuesday.The mosaics were unearthed by researchers from the university’s Institute of Archeology, who were taking part in renewed digs at the site. Archeological digs were held at Tel Shikmona throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but the site was neglected for decades and became strewn with trash. Since the discovery was made, researchers have been working to remove the built-up garbage and clean the mosaic floors to prepare them for viewing by the public.Researchers say the well-preserved mosaics date back to the Byzantine period and were part of an ecclesiastic structure.RELATED:2,000 year-old intact carving of Cupid found in JerusalemTerra Incognita: The great archeology debateA number of archeological finds have been discovered at the seaside site south of Haifa, including an Egyptian tomb, a Persian citadel and a number of luxury items from the Bronze Age.Earlier finds have shown that Shikmona was inhabited over a range of time from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period, and was the main city of the Haifa and Carmel area from the 4th century BCE to the Muslim conquest in the 7th century CE.The site is part of the Shikmona National Park in the Shikmona Nature Reserve and is managed by the Israel Parks and Nature Authority. Plans are under way for the site to become a public archeological park that will be annexed to the Hecht park in Haifa.
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