Saving an Ancient Mosaic

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. 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 2011 it was removed and taken to the Brooklyn conservation studio of Leslie Gat for restoration. The mosaic’s removal, restoration, and re-installation in the lobby of the School of Architecture in March 2013 is documented in this video.