[ti:Palestinian Man Discovers Ancient Art in Gaza] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A Palestinian man in Gaza [00:03.32]has discovered one of the greatest historical treasures [00:07.60]ever found in the area, experts say. [00:11.44]Archaeologists and other researchers are excited [00:16.12]about the find: a mosaic floor. [00:19.80]A mosaic is a surface made with small pieces of colored glass or stone, [00:26.46]sometimes creating a picture of something. [00:29.82]But the discovery is also leading people [00:33.23]to demand better protection of Gaza's ancient objects. [00:37.91]Such objects are threatened by a lack of awareness [00:42.52]and resources as well as the risk of conflict between Israel and Gaza. [00:49.08]Last spring, Salman al-Nabahin was planting a new olive tree [00:54.96]when his shovel hit a hard object. [00:57.84]He called his son for help in digging out the large piece. [01:02.49]It took three months before they fully uncovered a mosaic floor [01:07.67]from the Byzantine period, more than 1,000 years old. [01:12.63]The colors are still bright and the piece is in good condition. [01:17.47]The mosaic design includes images of birds and other animals. [01:23.45]The farmer's property is just a kilometer from the Israeli border. [01:29.84]René Elter is an archaeologist from the French Biblical [01:34.63]and Archaeological School of Jerusalem. [01:37.97]"These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza," he said. [01:44.53]Elter added the mosaic dates back to a time between the 5th and the 7th centuries. [01:51.51]But he said a careful study must be done [01:54.53]to learn when exactly it was built [01:57.38]and whether it was part of a religious or non-religious building. [02:02.67]Elter, who has done research in Gaza in the past, [02:07.09]has not been able to visit the site. [02:10.12]But he viewed a series of still images, or photographs, [02:15.27]and videos from local research partners. [02:19.48]The Gaza Strip, a Palestinian coastal area between Israel and Egypt, [02:25.34]was a busy trade path between Egypt and the Levant in ancient times. [02:31.08]The area is full of remains of ancient civilizations, [02:35.88]from the Bronze Age to the Islamic and Ottoman eras. [02:41.28]However, the treasures are rarely protected. [02:44.94]In the past, they were stolen. [02:48.27]In recent years, some were damaged or destroyed [02:52.28]by development projects or fighting with Israel. [02:56.64]An Israeli-Egyptian blockade was established [03:00.06]after the Hamas group took leadership of Gaza in 2007. [03:05.83]The blockade has hurt Gaza's economy, [03:09.07]leaving few resources for the protection of ancient objects. [03:13.82]Hamas itself pays little attention to the care of ancient sites [03:19.04]as it tries to meet the needs of a quickly growing population. [03:24.48]More than 2.3 million Gazans live in the 300-square-kilometer territory. [03:32.04]In 2017, digging machines destroyed large parts of a site [03:37.37]containing remains from a 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement [03:44.20]to make housing projects for Hamas employees. [03:49.00]Early this year, machines digging for an Egyptian-financed housing project [03:54.67]in northern Gaza found a Roman-era tomb. [03:58.78]Among the few protected ancient sites in Gaza [04:02.65]are the St. Hilarion monastery, built in the late Roman Empire, [04:08.01]and a Byzantine church that aid groups repaired and opened this year. [04:14.80]While these sites also have mosaics, [04:17.23]Elter said the latest discovery, [04:20.24]in the central Gaza town of Bureij, is "exceptional." [04:26.04]Al-Nabahin has covered the mosaic floor with metal sheets. [04:29.94]He said he hopes to receive payment for protecting [04:33.55]the special discovery on his property. [04:37.20]I'm John Russell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM