Carved in limestone and 22 centimeters long, the sculpture representing the face of an ancient goddess, was found by a farmer who worked his land in Khan Younis.
A stone statuette more than 4,500 years old representing the face of an ancient goddess has been discovered in the southern Gaza Strip, archaeological authorities in the Palestinian enclave announced on Monday.
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Carved from limestone and 22 centimeters long, the 2,500 BC statuette was found by a farmer working his land in Khan Younis, the Hamas Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said. ruling Islamist movement in Gaza. “The statue depicts the Canaanite goddess Anat who was the goddess of love and beauty“, said in a press release Jamal Abou Reda, in charge of Antiquities at the ministry. She was discovered on what was a major “overland trade route for multiple civilizationswho lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, said Abu Reda.
In February, workers at a construction site in northern Gaza discovered 31 Roman-era tombs dating back to the first century. The findings are the latest in Gaza, where tourist visits to archaeological sites have been restricted since the blockade imposed by Israel following the Hamas takeover in 2007.
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Israel and Egypt, countries bordering the Gaza Strip where some 2.3 million Palestinians live, severely restrict entry and exit to and from Palestinian territory. In January, a 5th-century Byzantine church was reopened by Hamas after years of restoration work, supported by foreign donors.