“Skeleton Mosaic” Unearthed in Turkey

HATAY, TURKEY—Hürriyet Daily News reports that a mosaic floor was uncovered in a dining room during construction work near the ancient city of Antioch, located on the Mediterranean coast in southern Turkey. The mosaic is divided into three scenes, one of which depicts a seated skeleton and a slogan, written in Greek. The skeleton, positioned on a field of black glass tiles, is shown with wine and bread and a drinking cup in hand. The other images are scenes about a young man’s visit to the baths and being late for dinner. “Two things are very important among the elite class in the Roman period in terms of social activities: The first is the bath and the second is dinner,” explained archaeologist Demet Kara of the Hatay Archaeology Museum. To read more about mosaics in Turkey, go to "Zeugma After the Flood."