dastierreich: The Ancient Menagerie Was it a floor of someone’s house? A map of a rich person’s mena
dastierreich: The Ancient Menagerie Was it a floor of someone’s house? A map of a rich person’s menagerie? An elaborate prank by some bored, ancient Roman interior decorator? Back in 1996, the Israeli government wished to construct a highway that bisected through a town. Instead they found a mosaic floor. In and on itself, archaeological mosaic floors are not odd things in the area now known as Israel, which was once part of the great Roman Empire. But as the highway planners left, and the Department of Antiquities swooped in, they found an endless carpet of mosaic, so well-preserved and expansive it could have been made yesterday. Only it was an old one, dating as far back to 300AD. It’s well-preserved state is already something of a marvel, but the subject matter mystifies archaeologists most of all. Commonly-found animals of the time stand side by side with exotic animals from far-flung places which might as well be lightyears away at that period in time. Further still are the mythological creatures that weave themselves between the “real” ones. Unlike other mosaic floors, too, this one lacked any human figures. The closest they got to a depiction of man’s presence are the two sailing ships—one cramped behind a school of fish, another missing most of its mosaic tiles. The Lod Mosaic, 50 by 27 feet at least, is named after the town where it was found, is currently on a travelling exhibition, while awaiting for a proper museum/center to be built in a place that could’ve been a highway. So, no need for a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy yet, but maybe… an Archaeologist’s Guide to the Ancient Menagerie. A long, detailed writeup by MetMuseum curator, Christoper S. Lightfoot: The Roman Mosaic Explore the mosaic in detail at the official website: http://www.lodmosaic.org/explore.html -- source link
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