The conservation and restoration work of the Israel Antiquities Authority conservators
Two vaulted tombs, dating back at least 1,700 years, featuring remarkably well-preserved wall paintings of Greek mythological characters, people, plants, and animals, will soon be unveiled to the public for the first time. This archeological project is a result of a collaborative effort between the Ashkelon Municipality and the Israel Antiquities Authority to integrate the city’s rich heritage into its public spaces, benefiting both residents and visitors.
These ancient vaulted structures are situated near Ashkelon’s marina, in a public area nestled between residential towers. Recognizing the site’s historical significance, the municipality decided to make it accessible to the public. As a result, a previously neglected area has been transformed into an inviting public garden featuring the two tombs. Even a brief glimpse inside offers a captivating window into an ancient and fascinating world.
The site was found way back in the 1930s, about 300 meters from the beach; a sand-filled vaulted tomb. The tomb structure was excavated by a British expedition and dated to the early 4th century CE, and it is comprised of a hall with four adjacent burial troughs. This passageway is decorated by a range of paintings, impressive in quality and skill, and includes depictions such as that of Demeter – the Greek mythological goddess of the earth and grain. Other images are of plants such as vines and grape clusters; different types of leaves and branches; and depictions of nymphs – mythological figures related to nature; their heads adorned with lotus plant wreaths, and holding pitchers from which water pours out. There are also various birds, deer; children picking bunches of grapes and gathering them into baskets; a figure playing Pan’s flute; and a wide range of many other images – mostly notably, Medusa the Gorgon’s head— a monstrous female face with hair made of snakes. In Greek mythology, her look turned those who gazed on her to stone.
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Another vaulted and decorated tomb in the public garden was relocated here from another Ashkelon site already in the 1990s, to ensure its preservation. This tomb, uncovered in the excavation of Dr. Elena Kogan-Zehavi—Israel Antiquities Authority, dates from the 2nd century CE. In the building’s center is a hall whose walls are decorated with colorful paintings of human figures, birds and other images from the animal and plant worlds. Around the hall are vaulted loculi, in which lead coffins were discoveredף decorated with human, animal and vegetative images.
In recent months, these structures and their decorations have been preserved through a complex process executed by Vladimir Bitman, David Kirakosian, Alexei Ronkin and Yoni Tirosh HaCohen, conservation department experts at the Israel Antiquities Authority. According to Mark Abrahami, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s art conservation branch, “Ancient wall paintings are usually not preserved in Israel’s humid climate. As the paintings were in a relatively closed structure it protected them, to some extent, for decades. Naturally, exposure of the centuries-old paint to air and moisture caused fading and weathering. We had to conduct a long and sensitive process to stop and repair the ravages of time and weathering. Some paintings had to be removed from the walls for thorough treatment in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s conservation laboratories until they were returned to the site. The other walls of the structure were cleaned, the pigments in the colors of the paintings were accentuated, and the entire building was strengthened and stabilized to preserve it for future generations.”
In recent years, the Ashkelon Municipality has invested considerable resources in the care and development of the city’s ancient sites in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority. Among other works, a large public park was opened in the new Wine City neighborhood, with an ancient industrial site at its heart. This complex includes winepresses and olive presses, warehouses, a bathhouse and more. A mosaic on Yekutiel Adam Street is also conserved and preserved right next to a playground, unique in that it incorporates archaeological elements. The well-known sarcophagus courtyard, a public display of dozens of impressive and rare items found throughout the city, has been upgraded. A display of beautiful ancient artifacts was set up on Kadesh Boulevard, and more.
When the public garden is opened for the upcoming holidays, residents of Ashkelon, Israeli visitors, and tourists will be able to gaze in wonder and enjoy the beauty of these rare paintings and thus learn about the fascinating past history of this bustling modern port city.
