TOPSHOT - Conservation expert of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Vladimir Bitman works on ancient frescoes inside one of two ancient Roman tombs in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on August 27, 2024. The ancient tomb structure, discovered in the 1930s, was excavated by a British expedition and dated to the early 4th century CE, and it will be soon open to the public for the first time, the IAA said on August 27. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
A sneak peek: Israel to open Roman-era tombs to public
Tombs, which date back over 1,600 years and were discovered more than half century apart
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Archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Elena Kogan Zahavi shows an ancient fresco inside one of two ancient Roman tombs in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on August 27, 2024.
AFP
ASHKELON, Israel: The Israel Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday it will open to the public two Roman-era tombs decorated with murals of Greek mythological figures.
The tombs, which date back more than 1,600 years and were discovered more than half a century apart, are located near the port of Israel’s southern city of Ashkelon, nestled between a residential area and a public garden.
The first tomb, dating back to the 4th century, was discovered by a British expedition in the 1930s.
It is decorated with depictions of nymphs wearing lotus flower crowns, children playing the flute, and various birds and animals.
The second tomb, dating from the second century and used to bury several generations of an aristocratic family, was discovered in the 1990s by Israeli archaeologist Elena Kogan-Zehavi.
“You can only imagine the level of surprise that awaited me when, as a young archaeologist, I entered the structure, which was covered in a lot of rubbish,” Kogan-Zehavi told journalists during a visit to the site on Tuesday.
Conservation expert of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Vladimir Bitman works on ancient frescoes inside one of two ancient Roman tombs in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on August 27, 2024. The ancient tomb structure, discovered in the 1930s, was excavated by a British expedition and dated to the early 4th century CE, and it will be soon open to the public for the first time, the IAA said on August 27. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
“Only eight painted tombs have been discovered so far” in Israel, she said.
Out of those, only the two in Ashkelon, which will open for group visits as of October, “are accessible to the public,” Kogan-Zehavi said.
Conservation expert of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Vladimir Bitman works on ancient frescoes inside one of two ancient Roman tombs in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on August 27, 2024. The ancient tomb structure, discovered in the 1930s, was excavated by a British expedition and dated to the early 4th century CE, and it will be soon open to the public for the first time, the IAA said on August 27. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
Ashkelon boasts more than 3,000 years of history and “was a very important city” in Roman times, added the archaeologist.
The city’s mayor, Tomar Glam, said in a statement that “we are... ensuring a place of honour for its glorious past”.
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