Antioch mosaic restoration project

Princeton's expeditions of the 1930s at the ancient city Antioch-on-the-Orontes, located near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey, unearthed archaeological treasures of one of the most important cultural and political centers of the Roman Empire. Browse research photographs from the Department of Art & Archaeology's Archaeological Archives.

Among the finds was a collection of mosaic pavements brought to Princeton, including one example that in 1951 made its way to the threshold of the Architecture Laboratory, where time continued to take its toll. Fortunately, the mosaic was rediscovered. In the summer of 2012 it was removed and taken to the Brooklyn conservation studio of Leslie Gat for restoration. The mosaic was reinstalled on March 19, and the entire process was filmed. 

Watch the restoration video