Abstract
The mosaic floor uncovered at Pi Maẓuva comprises a broad border of acanthus medallions, surrounding a carpet of flower buds, with a woman’s bust depicted in its center, possibly a personification of abundance and agricultural fertility. The acanthus border is populated by floral and animal motifs, which seem to have been executed by experienced artists. Based on iconographic and stylistic considerations, the mosaic was dated to the seventh century CE, probably created after the Muslim conquest, attesting to a continuation of local Byzantine traditions throughout the seventh–eighth centuries CE. The mosaic might have adorned a room that was used for entertaining guests in a manor house.
Keywords
Western Galilee, rural settlement, Greek inscription, paideia, art, epigraphy, ethnicity, Antioch, North Africa
Recommended Citation
Talgam, Rina
(2020)
"A Seventh-Century CE Mosaic Floor at Pi Maẓuva (Hebrew, pp. 57*–66*; English summary, pp. 185–187),"
'Atiqot: Vol. 99, Article 15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2065
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol99/iss1/15
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