Palestinian and Israeli archaeologists want Australia to return a looted mosaic. But to whom?

Tucked away inside the Australian War Memorial is a priceless mosaic taken from Gaza during World War I.

Australian soldiers stumbled on the Byzantine floor mosaic when digging trenches in the Palestinian town of Shellal during the Second Battle of Gaza in 1917. 

The Australians dug it up as a war trophy and, foiling British efforts to have it for the Imperial War Museum, took it to Australia, where it was eventually concreted into the wall of the Australian War Memorial.

Now Palestinians and Israelis want it back – though they can’t agree where it should go.

Osama Hamdan, who works at the Jericho Mosaic Centre, sees the ancient Christian mosaic as part of Palestinian heritage. He has created a replica of the Shellal Mosaic at the Centre.

“The Palestinian people, they have to know their cultural heritage, at least they can see a copy,” he says.

Jon Seligman, who works with the Israel Antiquities Authority, says the work legally belongs to the State of Israel.

“[Today] it would be considereda war crime. This is stolen property,” Dr Seligman says.

“I think ultimately it should be returned to where it came from. This is property which should be returned to the legal owners — that’s the state of Israel.”

READ MORE
The spoils of war (ABC)

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