A floor mosaic thought to be from the Roman period, which the field owner found by chance while planting saplings, came to light

The work on a floor mosaic, thought to belong to the Roman or Early Byzantine period, which a farmer in Elazığ found by chance while planting seedlings in the field he bought in 2023, has come to an end.

Mehmet Emin Sualp, the owner of the field, said, “We bought this land for 120 thousand TL (approximately 4000 US dollars) but now it is priceless.”

Sualp noticed a colorful and patterned structure at the bottom of the hole he dug to plant a cherry sapling. He immediately notified the Elazığ Archeology and Ethnography Museum Directorate and excavation work was started on the find.

An 84 square meter floor mosaic was unearthed during the excavation under the direction of museum archaeologists. The mosaic is believed to be from the early Byzantine or Roman period. animals such as Anatolian leopard, wolf, pig, mountain goat, deer, hound and pheasant were depicted on the mosaic.

The expanded excavations also unearthed various wall remains around the mosaic, which are estimated to have been used as a church and a winery.

Elazığ Governor Numan Hatipoğlu, who inspected the area, said, “Almost one of the largest mosaic pieces of the region is emerging. It is a mosaic depicting animal beings in the region with a width of approximately 84 square meters. It is in one piece and is an enormous work. I congratulate all our employees, especially the owner of the field. As a result of our studies, if a historical artifact suitable for exhibition and display emerges in the region, we will develop a different strategy for this place. If not, we will prepare this historical artifact to be exhibited in our Elazığ center.”

Cover photo and other photos: AA/IHA