Gigantic Roman mosaic discovered

[1dave]

www.archaeology-world.com/gigantic-roman-mosaic-discovered-under-a-farmers-field/

EUROPE, TURKEY, WORLD
Gigantic Roman mosaic discovered under a farmer’s field
November 24, 2019

Gigantic Roman mosaic discovered under a farmer’s field in Turkey

In southern Turkey, a huge pool mosaic with complex geometric patterns was discovered, which reveals the Roman Empire’s far-reaching impact on its peak.

Michael Hoff of the Nebraska University, an art historian from Lincoln and director of mosaic excavations, said the mosaic, which once adorned the floor of a bath complex, abuts a 25-foot (7-meter)-long pool, which would have been open to the air

Hoff said the discovery was possibly from the third or fourth centuries. The mosaic is an incredible 1,600 square feet (149 square meters) the size of a small family home (149 square meters).
Amazing Roman mosaic discovered in Southern Turkey

“To be honest, I have completely bowled over that the mosaic is that big,” Hoff told BBC.

The first hint that something stunning lay underground in southern Turkey came in 2002 when Purdue University classics professor Nick Rauh walked through a freshly plowed farmer’s field near the ancient city of Antiochia ad Cragum. The plow had churned up bits of mosaic tile, Hoff said.

Rauh consulted other archaeologists, including experts at the local museum in Alanya, Turkey. The museum did not have funds to excavate more than a sliver of the mosaic, so archaeologists left the site alone.

Last year, with a new archaeological permit for the site in hand, museum archaeologists invited Hoff and his team to complete the dig.

So far, the researchers have revealed about 40 percent of the mosaic. The floor is in “pristine” condition, Hoff said in a university video about the dig. It would have fronted an open-air marble swimming pool flanked by porticos.

The mosaic itself is composed of large squares, each sporting a unique geometric design on a white background, from starburst patterns to intertwined loops.

It’s the largest Roman mosaic ever found in southern Turkey, which was thought to be rather peripheral to the Roman Empire, according to Hoff.

The existence of the mosaic suggests that Antiochia ad Cragum was far more influenced by the Romans than believed, Hoff said.

The city of Antiochia ad Cragum, founded in the first century, has a number of Roman features, including bathhouses and markets.

Hoff’s team has also been excavating a third-century Roman temple in the city and a street lined with colonnades and shops.

The team will return with students and volunteers to complete the mosaic excavations.

Ultimately, Hoff said, the plan is to construct a wooden shelter over the entire mosaic and open the site to public visits.

[RocksInNJ]

Impressive!

[rockjunquie]

Nov 28, 2019 11:09:44 GMT -5 1dave said:

www.archaeology-world.com/gigantic-roman-mosaic-discovered-under-a-farmers-field/

EUROPE, TURKEY, WORLD
Gigantic Roman mosaic discovered under a farmer’s field
November 24, 2019

Gigantic Roman mosaic discovered under a farmer’s field in Turkey

In southern Turkey, a huge pool mosaic with complex geometric patterns was discovered, which reveals the Roman Empire’s far-reaching impact on its peak.

Michael Hoff of the Nebraska University, an art historian from Lincoln and director of mosaic excavations, said the mosaic, which once adorned the floor of a bath complex, abuts a 25-foot (7-meter)-long pool, which would have been open to the air

Hoff said the discovery was possibly from the third or fourth centuries. The mosaic is an incredible 1,600 square feet (149 square meters) the size of a small family home (149 square meters).
Amazing Roman mosaic discovered in Southern Turkey

“To be honest, I have completely bowled over that the mosaic is that big,” Hoff told BBC.

The first hint that something stunning lay underground in southern Turkey came in 2002 when Purdue University classics professor Nick Rauh walked through a freshly plowed farmer’s field near the ancient city of Antiochia ad Cragum. The plow had churned up bits of mosaic tile, Hoff said.

Rauh consulted other archaeologists, including experts at the local museum in Alanya, Turkey. The museum did not have funds to excavate more than a sliver of the mosaic, so archaeologists left the site alone.

Last year, with a new archaeological permit for the site in hand, museum archaeologists invited Hoff and his team to complete the dig.

So far, the researchers have revealed about 40 percent of the mosaic. The floor is in “pristine” condition, Hoff said in a university video about the dig. It would have fronted an open-air marble swimming pool flanked by porticos.

The mosaic itself is composed of large squares, each sporting a unique geometric design on a white background, from starburst patterns to intertwined loops.

It’s the largest Roman mosaic ever found in southern Turkey, which was thought to be rather peripheral to the Roman Empire, according to Hoff.

The existence of the mosaic suggests that Antiochia ad Cragum was far more influenced by the Romans than believed, Hoff said.

The city of Antiochia ad Cragum, founded in the first century, has a number of Roman features, including bathhouses and markets.

Hoff’s team has also been excavating a third-century Roman temple in the city and a street lined with colonnades and shops.

The team will return with students and volunteers to complete the mosaic excavations.

Ultimately, Hoff said, the plan is to construct a wooden shelter over the entire mosaic and open the site to public visits.

Thank you, Dave, I love these stories.

I can only imagine this in its glory.

[victor1941]

Thanks 1dave for the interesting material that you share. It is amazing what earlier civilizations accomplished.

[agatemaggot]

Great story, can hardly wait til they get the dig complete and we can msee the whole thinmg !

[lookatthat]

Wow!

Questions, questions--
What will they do with it once they expose it?
Where's the rest of the stuff that was built around it?
Can I have it?

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2019 13:56:59 GMT -5 lookatthat said:

What will they do with it once they expose it?
Where's the rest of the stuff that was built around it?
Can I have it?

I think I can answer that based upon watching what has happened with similar discoveries: they'll document it in-situ (in photographs, drawings, and careful descriptions) before deciding. Any significant panels that would attract thieves typically get cut out and trucked off to a museum. Southern Turkey has some fine mosaic museums, though I've found it hard to imagine the pieces in their original location and purpose when they get hung on a museum wall, and it is sorta sad - but better than getting cut up by thieves. The rest will probably get re-buried unless and until some plan for opening the site to the public is finalized and funded.

Antiochia ad Cragum sits on steep hillsides (I wonder why the article described it as a "farmer's field"? Must have been a tiny farm with not much soil depth), so some of the stone walls would have tumbled down slopes in this earthquake-prone region. Of course, the archaeology team would have already documented and removed any wall and roof material overburden to get to the floor. Before that, any good ashlars and columns from the building would have been hauled off in later centuries by Romans, Arabs, Turks, and Crusaders to build other structures until the town was eventually abandoned around 900 years ago.

I don't think you can have it - legally
Once the archaeologists publish photos and drawings, I wouldn't be surprised if artisans in Turkey and Lebanon don't start offering reproductions of particularly attractive panels, however. I'm sure they'd gladly take a commission for the entire floor - though shipping cost is going to be a killer.