Global Courant
Gaza City, Palestine – The discovery of four Roman-era tombs in the Gaza Strip points to Gaza’s long history of settlement, agriculture, industry and trade, a Palestinian archaeologist said.
Four graves dating back 2,000 years were discovered Saturday in a Roman-era cemetery in the Gaza Strip.
“Field research efforts are still ongoing at the Roman cemetery, with the involvement of Palestinian experts and the participation of French archaeologists,” Jamal Abu Reida, director general of antiquities at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al Jazeera.
“The ongoing work is part of the long journey to uncover historical and archaeological discoveries found in various parts of the Gaza Strip in recent years,” he added.
The discovery of the four graves brought the total number of excavated graves at the archaeological site, which is spread over an area of almost 4,000 square meters, to 134, the Gaza Strip Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism announced. Saturday.
Skeletal remains of a human in one of four graves discovered at Roman cemetery (Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera)
Palestinian archaeologist Fadel al-Otol said the cemetery is currently undergoing a process of study, restoration and maintenance, with the aim of eventually opening it to visitors and researchers.
Al-Otol confirmed the remarkable discovery of two lead coffins, one intricately engraved with grape harvest motifs and the other with dolphins swimming in the water.
Fadel al-Otol leads a team of technicians and engineers called Intiqal, which is working on the restoration and research at the cemetery (Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera)
Some tombs are distinguished by pyramid designs, and fragments of pottery and metal pieces used in burial rituals have also been found.
Al-Otol, who heads a team of technicians and engineers called Intiqal, stressed the importance of actively seeking additional discoveries, given Gaza’s status as a city with a very rich heritage that includes antiquities from different eras and civilizations.
He also expressed deep regret over the lack of financial resources that is hampering the continuation of excavation work at other archaeological sites in the Palestinian enclave, which has been under an Israeli land, sea and air blockade for more than fifteen years.
A map shows the 134 graves in the Roman cemetery northwest of Gaza (Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera)
“Gaza has a place of historical importance as one of the oldest cities in the world due to its strategic geographical location at the crossroads of the Asian and African continents,” he told Al Jazeera.
Al-Otol lamented the lack of resources for the maintenance of antiquities amid the difficult living conditions in the enclave – home to two million people. The excavation and restoration work is funded by the British Council’s Fund for the Protection of Culture.
A French mission expert works with the excavation team at the Roman cemetery northwest of Gaza (Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera)
“These archaeological discoveries reveal the historical roots and heritage of Palestine, stretching back thousands of years, and debunk all the narratives propagated by the Israeli occupation that portray Palestine as a land without a people and a people without a land,” he said. Otal.
Last December, the 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery was discovered while Egyptian bulldozers were building the Egyptian city as part of reconstruction plans in the northwestern Gaza Strip.
Young women working as part of the excavation and excavation team at the Roman cemetery discovered last year in the northwest of Gaza City (Abdelhakim Abu Riash, Al Jazeera)
This important discovery, confirmed by a French non-governmental organization, revealed that the cemetery had been buried beneath Gaza’s soil for centuries and dates back to ancient Roman times, which spanned between the first and second centuries AD. The coffins in the cemetery were decorated with intricate paintings and laurel leaf wreaths.
The unveiling of the Roman cemetery followed another archaeological discovery made three months ago, when Byzantine-era mosaic floors, about 1,800 years old, were discovered on agricultural land east of the Bureij refugee camp, located in the central part of Gaza. Strip.
Gaza suffers from severe poverty; more than 80 percent of the population is dependent on aid. The Israeli blockade has significantly restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, contributing to the challenging humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
