A 4,500-year-old statuette has been discovered in Gaza

The archaeological authorities in the Palestinian sector announced, on Monday, the discovery of a small stone statue of more than 4,500 years old representing the face of an ancient goddess in the southern Gaza Strip.

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The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the Hamas movement in Gaza said that the statue, carved from limestone and its length is 22 centimeters, was found by a farmer working on his land in Khan Yunis. Its length is 22 centimeters. “The statue depicts the Canaanite goddess Anat, who was the goddess of love and beautyJamal Abu Reda, the ministry’s antiquities official, said in a press release. It was discovered on what was great”Overland Trade Route for Multiple Civilizationssaid Abu Rida, who lived in what is now the Gaza Strip.

In February, workers at a construction site in northern Gaza unearthed 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, the two countries bordering the Gaza Strip where some 2.3 million Palestinians live, impose severe restrictions on entry and exit to and from the Palestinian territories. In January, Hamas reopened a 5th-century Byzantine church after years of restoration work, with support from foreign donors.