Mosaic with personified lake wearing crab claw hairclips found in Turkey

"An intricate mosaic with a kaleidoscopic variety of patterns, colors and figures, one of them the personification of a lake wearing crab claw hairclips, has been unearthed in the city of Iznik, Turkey. The style of the mosaic and ceramics and coins found in the excavation layer date it to 3rd century. The mosaic was first spotted 11 years ago during sewer construction."

"Because the mosaic extended under the road and private property, a decade of legal entanglements over expropriation procedures and permits ensued, until in 2024 the Iznik Museum Directorate finally returned to the find site and began a full-scale excavation of the expropriated area. The year's excavation uncovered the entire mosaic floor 50 square meters (538 square feet) within the designation area. The team also unearthed the lower walls and the remains of the upper layers of the ancient building."

"The mosaic, on the other hand, is virtually intact. It is divided into three main panels, underlined by a white border with red pomegranate and ivy leaves. Two pairs of sandals point in different directions between the pomegranate row and the wall. The left panel is centered around a female figure with a basket of agricultural produce (pomegranates, grapes, wheat) with two small figures reclining above each shoulder."

A virtually intact 3rd-century mosaic floor covering about 50 square meters was uncovered in Iznik, Turkey following a 2024 excavation. The mosaic was initially spotted eleven years earlier during sewer construction when workers found a small face of colorful tiles and halted work for protection. Legal disputes over expropriation and property access delayed full excavation for a decade. The 2024 dig revealed the complete mosaic and lower walls and upper-layer remains of the ancient building, with evidence of frescoed walls and marble floors largely lost or reused. The mosaic comprises three main panels with a white border of red pomegranate and ivy leaves, including a depiction of Gaia and labeled smaller figures.

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