Two ancient tombs, dating back nearly 2,000 years, have been opened to the public for the first time following a careful restoration process, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced.

Originally discovered by British archaeologists in the 1930s, the tombs were closed to the public for almost a century to protect the paintings depicting vines, Roman deities, and mythological creatures.
 
The tombs, located in Ashkelon, about 6 miles from the Gaza Strip, underwent renovation when the city decided to transform the site into an educational park for visitors.

Situated near the beach, these tombs are believed to have served as a burial ground for aristocratic Roman citizens in Ashkelon around 1,800 years ago.

“This tomb has wonderful paintings that were preserved remarkably well, and that’s surprising considering the time that has passed and the location next to the sea, the humidity, the sand, the winds, everything affects the plaster and the paintings,” said Anat Rasiuk, an archaeologist with the Antiquities Authority to the Associated Press.

The murals depict birds, children picking bunches of grapes, nymphs with lotus plants, and figures from Greek mythology adopted by the Romans, including the head of Medusa and Demeter, the goddess of the harvest.

Some of the lime-based plaster paintings were removed from the tomb walls and taken off-site for restoration, while others were meticulously cleaned and given touch-ups using pigments that match the ancient ones.

The new educational park in Ashkelon will showcase additional artifacts from ancient Roman times found around the city, such as wine and olive presses and ancient sarcophaguses. 

Another tomb, discovered in the 1990s, has been relocated to the educational park site and preserved, also featuring similar murals.

Ashkelon was not just a Roman city but also a Philistine one before that. Cemeteries discovered in the city date back to the early Iron Age, about 3,000 years ago.

Rockets in the early days of the war against Hamas affected Ashkelon, and materials from the U.S.-built pier ultimately beached on the coast of the Israeli city after some bad weather in early May.

The Israel Antiquities Authority did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.