The mutatio served as a vital resting point for travelers, merchants, and soldiers on the busy route, offering essential services such as food, water, and stables for horses.
The sarcophagus was recovered from a small Roman roadside cemetery, undisturbed since its burial in Roman times.
In January 2023, archaeologists discovered lost Amazon cities, home to 10,000 farmers 2,000 years ago, revealing a pre-Columbian civilization in a previously sparsely inhabited area.
"The mosaic discovered in Kiryat Gat is one of the most unique ever found in Israel," said Mark Avrahami, Head of Artistic Conservation at the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Excavations at Ashdod-Yam reveal a second-century BCE fortress destroyed in conflict, the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University reported.
Germanic communities could have had access to stimulant plants such as poppy, hops, hemp, henbane, belladonna, and various fungi.
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