Archaeological Views: A Lucky Discovery Complicates Life

As an archaeologist, I am often asked, “What is the best thing you’ve ever found?” Since 2011, when I began a new excavation project at the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee, that question has been easy to answer. Our excavations are bringing to light a monumental, Late Roman (fifth-century C.E.) synagogue building paved with stunning mosaics, including rare depictions of Samson and the first historical scene ever discovered decorating an ancient synagogue.^a

These discoveries have complicated my life in unexpected ways, some of them good, and some not-so-good. On the good side: The mosaics are truly spectacular and exciting and have attracted much media attention and interest. On the not-so-good side: The excavations have become a much longer-term project than I originally planned, and the cost of uncovering and conserving the mosaics has far exceeded our original budget, so that I must scramble to find new sources of funding each season.