Archaeologists Beat Flood Waters And Dig Up Ancient Mosaics

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For Viral News by RyanFord

StyleArt / Architecture

http://diply.com/viral-news/article/ancient-greek-mosaics

Do you ever wonder what we'll leave behind for future generations? And what impressions those future archaeologists will take from our stuff? Will they find our iPods and think we would rather hear a recorded voice than a real one? Will they mistake movie posters for portraits? Will they laugh and sneer at advertising and election posters? 

We'll never know for sure, but it's fun to consider. And we have some idea, just going by the work of today's archaeologists who explore the lives of the people who came before us using the items that outlived them. Some of the finds are boring and mundane, but there's also surprising beauty out there. And one find shows that beautiful art can last a shockingly long time, and reveal much more than you might think.

SHARE this incredible find today!

Just imagine the look on the faces of the archaeologists digging feverishly in the Turkish soil who unearthed some gorgeous mosaics that haven't seen fresh air or sunlight for more than 2,000 years.

Talk about an exciting find! But it's made even more incredible by the conditions the archaeology team has been working under.

via reddit / DonTago

Zeugma, the ancient town in Turkey where the mosaics were discovered, is now largely under water.

A dam on the Euphrates River, less than a mile from the town, flooded the area, submerging a quarter of Zeugma below 200 feet of reservoir water.

However, the waters rose gradually, just four inches a day, which proved to be the saving grace for the archaeologists.

via Flickr / APAAME

Knowing that the town would be flooded, a team of archaeologists led by Ankara University's Kutalmis Gorkay stepped up their excavation efforts with an eye on preserving some of the area's unique relics.

Among the finds was a mosaic depicting the nine Muses renowned in Greek mythology. The mosaic provides an insight into the lives of the people who once lived in Zeugma.

“They were a product of the patron’s imagination," he told Archaeology.org. "It wasn’t like simply choosing from a catalog. They thought of specific scenes in order to make a specific impression."

via Hurriyet Daily News

So a homeowner who had a mosaic depicting the Muses was likely educated and literary because the Muses inspired literature and the arts.

And Zeugma features a wide variety of mosaics because it holds a unique place in history...

via Adam Jones / Message to Eagle