Damascus / Daraa, (SANA) – The General Department of Archeology and Museums announced on Tuesday the discovery of a castle in the Tel Ifs area in Idleb Governorate which dates back to the 14th century BC, containing a cuneiform tablet detailing rituals of ceremonial burial.
The Department also announced the discovery of a mural depicting Judgment Day in al-Marqab Castle dating back to the 12th century AD.
In Deir Ezzor Governorate, northeast of the country, the first wagon wheel was discovered at the Mari (Tel Hariri) site dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, which makes it the first wheel ever invented in the world.
The Department also announced the completion of the excavation and renovation of the Jabla amphitheater and the rehabilitation and restoration of al-Zahrawi Castle, which is being converted to a museum for folklore traditions.
The Bosra Department of Archeology in Daraa, southern Syria, also discovered during urgent excavations in Bosra city three burial chambers. Inside these chambers they found a clay pot, a glass vase, a clay lantern, a hairpin made of bone, a stone talisman, and a glass bottle neck dating back to the Byzantine period, among other items.
According to Director of the Bosra Department of Archeology Fayez al-Daws, the three burial chambers were built with basalt after the standard architectural style of Bosra and southern Syria. They extend from east to west and are devoid of any decorations, while their floors are covered in plaster.
During another urgent excavations at the Beit Ira site west of Daraa city, the Daraa Department of Archeology discovered the remains of a square mosaic mural measuring 100 cm, believed to have been a part of the floor of a church or convent dating back to the Byzantine period.
Director of the Daraa Department of Archeology Hussein Mashhadawi said the Department asked the General Department of Archeology and Museums to send a team of experts to move the mural in order to restore it and display it in the Daraa museum.
H. Sabbagh / Ahmad Fathi ZAHRA
