UNL team unearths giant Roman mosaic in southern Turkey

Michael Hoff Author

09/18/2012 Added

174 Plays

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A UNL archaeological team has uncovered a massive Roman mosaic in southern Turkey – a meticulously crafted, 1,600-square-foot work of decorative handiwork built during the region's imperial zenith.

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[00:00:00.054]I'm Michael Hoff and I have unearthed a massive Roman mosaic.
[00:00:05.099]The mosaic is spectacular because it is extremely large.
[00:00:11.011]As far as we are aware it looks to be the largest mosaic of its kind ever found in southern Turkey.
[00:00:19.092]It's also unusual in its preservation.
[00:00:24.094]It's extremely well preserved.
[00:00:26.084]The part that we have excavated, and we have uncovered approximately 50 percent of it,
[00:00:31.029]looks to be in pristine shape.
[00:00:34.061]We were surprised to have found a mosaic of such size and of such caliber in this region
[00:00:43.037]of Turkey, an area that had usually been off map, off the radar screen of most ancient
[00:00:50.013]historians and archeologists.
[00:00:51.081]And suddenly this thing comes into view.
[00:00:55.031]It does cause us to change our focus about what we think Rough Cilicia was like in antiquity.
[00:01:02.000]Why is this find so important?
[00:01:06.082]The reason why is because this region is not well understood in terms of history and archeology.
[00:01:14.011]It's not a place where archeologists have spent much time working in,
[00:01:18.062]and therefore everything that we find adds more evidence to our understanding of this area of the Roman Empire.
[00:01:30.016]And we're beginning to understand that it was perhaps more Romanized, more in line with the rest of the Roman world
[00:01:38.002]than had been suspected before.
[00:01:40.093]I lead a team of 60 students and scholars from the University of Nebraska, other United States institutions,
[00:01:48.062]and as well as our sister school, Atat端rk University in Turkey.
[00:01:54.077]We have an opportunity to get down and get dirty, uncover objects that have never been seen before by modern eyes.
[00:02:04.026]Students get to touch the artifacts, they can measure the objects, they can understand what it might have been like
[00:02:11.028]in antiquity to visit a Roman temple, to walk on a mosaic pavement, to celebrate in an athletic arena,
[00:02:20.094]to go into an ancient bath and experience what it might have been like,
[00:02:25.068]to actually walk into a still-standing Roman building from 2,000 years ago, it's a rush.

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UNL team unearths giant Roman mosaic in southern Turkey

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