Thursday, May 5, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Photos: Ancient farmhouse and church uncovered in Israel
About alberto de leon(Photos: Ancient Farmhouse and Church Uncovered in Israel)VOXD-1 ........................................ http://www.livescience.com/53259-photos-ancient-buildings-israel.html http://www.livescience.com/53257-ancient-farmhouse-and-church-excavated-israel.html?cmpid=NL_OAP_weekly_2016-01-05 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Excavators also revealed oil presses carved from rock and a pair of silver coins stamped with images of the goddess Athena and an owl — her sacred bird — dating to the fourth century BCE.
by Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | January 05, 2016 07:27am ET ................................................................................................................................As the city of Rosh Ha-'Ayin in central Israel expands, excavation in preparation for new construction revealed ancient buildings in the surrounding area. Structures with colorful mosaic floors and dozens of rooms hint at how people may have lived and worked in centuries gone by. [Read the full story on the farmstead discovery]
..................................................................................................................................Birds-eye view of the preserved remains of a church estimated to be 1,500 years old. Christianity spread rapidly across the region during the 5th century CE, evident in the number of ancient monasteries and churches that survive today. (Image credit: Griffin Aerial Photography) ................................................................................................................................A Greek inscription
..................................................................................................................................In the remains of the church, excavators found several mosaics. One bore a Greek inscription welcoming visitors in the name of "Theodosius the priest." (Image credit: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority) .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................The farmstead
..................................................................................................................................An aerial view of the 27,000-year-old farmhouse, which included 24 rooms surrounding a courtyard and a silo. (Image credit: Griffin Aerial Photography) .................................................................................................................................................After spending thousands of years buried in ancient hills, remnants of buildings dating back to the Byzantine era and earlier emerged from hiding, excavated outside Rosh Ha'ayin in central Israel, about 10 miles (17 kilometers) inland from Tel Aviv.
..................................................................................................................................Sacred bird
..................................................................................................................................Excavators at work
/.................................................................................................................................Students of the Gal Academy for Leadership. Dozens of teenagers from schools and youth programs contributed to the archaeological excavation, part of the Israel Antiquities Authority's initiative to increase public awareness of Israel's cultural heritage. (Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority) ................................................................................................................................Ancient tile patterns
..................................................................................................................................Colorful mosaics in the church floors include geometric designs. (Image credit: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority) ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................,,,,. ................................................................................................................................0 Comments
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Another multiroom structure protruding from a nearby hill was a monastery approximately 1,500 years old. The building once held stables, living quarters, an oil press and a church with colorful mosaic floors. Tiles were laid in intricate geometric patterns, with one pattern spelling out a Greek inscription welcoming visitors in the name of "Theodosius the priest."
The new finds take their place among many others that have emerged in recent years, representing Israel's ancient past. Another farmhouse dating to the eighth century BCE was discovered near Rosh Ha'ayin in early December 2014. Its 23 rooms also radiated outward from a central courtyard that once held a grain silo, and multiple winepresses were found close by. Eventually abandoned as a monastery, the structure was partially destroyed hundreds of years later, when inhabitants during the Ottoman period built a limekiln on the site.
Shadman explained in the statement that the farmstead and monastery represent two waves of inhabitants that settled in the region over time. The older farmstead, and others like it, flourished for hundreds of years, but were largely abandoned when people fled the area during the Hellenistic period.
After many more centuries passed, a wave of Christian settlers arrived during the fifth century CE. At the time, Christianity was spreadingrapidly across Israel, evident in the number of surviving ancient monasteries and churches that archaeologists continue to uncover.
The newfound archeological artifacts will be preserved where they stand "for the benefit of the public," even as the city of Rosh Ha'ayin expands to surround them, the IAA statement read. The inscription in the church's ancient mosaic will once more greet visitors with the message, "Peace be with you when you come, peace be with you when you go."
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Photos: Ancient Farmhouse and Church Uncovered in Israel
Byzantine church
..................................................................................................................................In the remains of the church, excavators found several mosaics. One bore a Greek inscription welcoming visitors in the name of "Theodosius the priest." (Image credit: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority) .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................The farmstead
A recent announcement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) described a many-chambered farmhouse, estimated to be 2,700 years old, measuring about 100 by 180 feet (30 by 50 meters) and containing a cluster of 24 rooms connected to a central courtyard. The walls were preserved to a height of about 6.6 feet (2 m).
The courtyard once held a storage compartment for protecting grain, Amit Shadman, IAA excavation director, said in the statement. Other artifacts found nearby include a number of millstones used for grinding flour, suggesting that growing and processing grain were "fairly widespread" in the region, Shadman said. "It seems that carbohydrates were as popular then as now," he added. [See Photos of the Farmstead and Church Mosaics in Rosh Ha'ayin] ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................Pieces of silver
A silver coin stamped with the image of Athena, found in the farmhouse remains. (Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)
..................................................................................................................................Sacred bird
A silver coin stamped with the image of an Athenian owl, found in the farmhouse remains. (Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)
..................................................................................................................................Excavators at work
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