The mosaic floors are situated in the lowest point of the excavations, about 1.8 m below the surrounding area. Significantly lower than the level of the nearby modern sewage, project staff took advantage of the ancient sewage system to solve the issue of drainage, especially for rainwater. For more details, refer to the Final Report.
The shelter design was expanded to accommodate the newly discovered mosaic a-6 through the construction of a niche. The niche was constructed after dismantling a section of the southern wall in Byzantine building B, entirely reconstructed in the 1970s. For more details on the expanded shelter design, refer to Progress report 4 or the Final Report.
Notably asymmetrical, the composition, executed in opus tessellatum technique, is situated in a room (possibly a cubiculum) between A2 and A6. Each of the seven preserved figural panels represent different species of birds (duck, heron, parrot, peacock, quail, pigeons and a couple of pigeons drinking water). Some of the panels have additional decorative elements (cups, flowers, fruits and Floral motifs). Mosaic A5 suffered extensive damage; including burning; loss of 30% of its surface; and mechanical damages. Conservation measures included: documentation (photographs and tracing); cleaning; modern interventions reversed; lime mortar protective band on mosaic edges; weak tesserae were treated with Paraloid B-60 diluted in ethanol; some fragments were reconstructed using retrieved original material. After reconstruction of the wall foundations, missing parts of the mosaic bedding and big lacunae were filled with new mortar and gravel.For more information, refer to the Final report or Progress Report 5.