03:18Syrian archaeologists unveil unique Roman-era mosaic
Syrian archaeologists have uncovered a large unique Roman-era mosaic in the central town of Rastan, near Homs, as seen in footage shot on Wednesday.
The plot consists of two main scenes displaying Achilles and Hercules with the queens of the Amazons. The framing shows Amazons with the Greek kings. The mosaic also includes the names of all the Greek kings who united against Troy, the names of Amazonian queens, and some characters mentioned in archaeological texts.
"We are fully confident that this site is extremely important as it acts as the foundation for Aretoza, a very ancient and widely-known kingdom that expanded over large areas. The excavations will confirm that Ar Rastan is a very valuable site for Syria and the rest of the world," the head of the Department of Antiquities in Homs, Husam Hamish, shared.
To discover the find, the houses built over the panel were transferred to the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums ownership and then demolished. Staff were able to excavate the panel to a depth of 4.20 metres. While working on the excavation of one panel, three more were discovered, which turned out to be connected and extended under neighbouring houses. As Dr Husam Hamish says, the owners of the houses affected by the excavation will receive compensation.
03:18Syrian archaeologists have uncovered a large unique Roman-era mosaic in the central town of Rastan, near Homs, as seen in footage shot on Wednesday.
The plot consists of two main scenes displaying Achilles and Hercules with the queens of the Amazons. The framing shows Amazons with the Greek kings. The mosaic also includes the names of all the Greek kings who united against Troy, the names of Amazonian queens, and some characters mentioned in archaeological texts.
"We are fully confident that this site is extremely important as it acts as the foundation for Aretoza, a very ancient and widely-known kingdom that expanded over large areas. The excavations will confirm that Ar Rastan is a very valuable site for Syria and the rest of the world," the head of the Department of Antiquities in Homs, Husam Hamish, shared.
To discover the find, the houses built over the panel were transferred to the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums ownership and then demolished. Staff were able to excavate the panel to a depth of 4.20 metres. While working on the excavation of one panel, three more were discovered, which turned out to be connected and extended under neighbouring houses. As Dr Husam Hamish says, the owners of the houses affected by the excavation will receive compensation.