JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A fragment of a marble tombstone from the Byzantine period, with ancient Greek inscription, was discovered near the Israeli coastal town of Caesarea, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) reported on Wednesday.
The 1,500-year-old inscription was found by a 13-year-old boy while looking for mushrooms after the rain.
The marble piece, with a cross at its top, probably indicates the grave's location in the cemetery and the deceased's identity, experts said.
The words "Anastasius's tomb" or "Anastasia's tomb" were engraved on it, as the last letters of the name were not well preserved.
This inscription joins a large collection of burial inscriptions that were previously discovered in the area.
The researchers said, Caesarea had a concentration of rich population at the ancient times. The use of imported marble to create the tomb testifies to the deceased's affluent status, as well as the customs, beliefs and wealth of Caesarea people in the Byzantine period.
During the Byzantine period, the rich people of Caesarea built magnificent mansions in the suburbs, so that they enjoyed both the rural sceneries, and the proximity to the downtown.
To date, sections of five mansions have been discovered in the area, including the Birds Mosaic building, which covers about 1,500 square meters.
