Three Byzantine mosaic panels have been unearthed inside an archaeological site during a Syrian army mine-clearance operation in the eastern countryside of Hama

Evidence of ancient Greek culture in the war-torn Middle Eastern country of Syria has recently been discovered.

Amid the bloody conflict, three Byzantine mosaic panels have been unearthed inside an archaeological site during a Syrian army mine-clearance operation in the eastern countryside of Hama in, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

One of the three panels bears a Greek inscription, while the other two have bird and floral motifs. In addition to the three mosaics, a team of archaeologists uncovered the foundations of a church nearby.

During a routine mine excavation the Syrian Engineering corps found a unique looking slab of material underneath the earth. After some careful digging what they saw was an ancient Greek mosaic floor, which surprised all involved. Syrian authorities for archaeology were contacted urgently and the process of professional excavation commenced.

The Syrian engineers were shocked that such pieces of human history had survived being in the countryside of Hama city which was torn by heavy battles between the Syrian government and opposition forces.

Greek mosaic

Reports from Syrian media note the discovery has spurred on local authorities to establish greater communication lines with the archaeological administrations in the Syrian government. The floor pieces have been briefly translated by Syrian workers and are being moved after excavations to archaeological laboratories to fully clean and translate the piece. Additional pieces are going to be investigated to get a full picture on the floor.

The structure has been calculated to have been in the area for several thousand years and has become very rigid in the earth.

Translations have started on the structures and have revealed the connection to Saint Alexander and ‘the most respected bishop Evangelus’. Some of the initial information has led to the following Greek translation becoming available to the public:

ΕΠΙΤΟΥΑΓΙΟΥΚΑΙΕΠΙΣΚΗΜΩΝ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΤΟΥΟΣΙΟΤΑΤΟΥΠΕΡΙΚΑΜΜΟΥΚΑΙΤΟΥΕΥΛΑΒΕΣΤΑΤΟΥΕΥΑΝΓΕΛΛΟΥΕΥΞΑΜΕΝ

The reference to religious figures has pointed towards the possibility of the area being the site of a larger religious building and as a result the area has become an archaeological site. The Syrian Army is continuing very careful work to de-mine the rest of the area to allow for further investigations.

The chief of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Hama, Abdul-Qader Farzat, told SANA the site is a church floor dating back to the fifth century AD.

Excavations initiated after information about the existence of an archaeological site buried in the vicinity of Uqerbat, located 85 kilometers (52 miles) east of Hama city.

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Photo Source: al-sura.com