A carved stone statue of the ancient goddess of beauty, love and war has been found in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian archaeologists say it is an image of the Canaanite goddess Anati and dates back 4,500 years. Late Bronze Age.

The discovery was made by a farmer digging his land in Can Yunis, south of the strip.

Comments on social media indicate the right association with the goddess’s war.

In recent years, there have been a series of devastating clashes between Israel and militant groups in Gaza, a Palestinian-held area of ​​Hamas.

However, the discovery of limestone sculptures underscores how this area –An important part of the trade route for a number of ancient civilizations – it was originally a Canaanite settlement.

The 22-centimeter-high carved statue clearly shows the face of a goddess dressed in a snake crown.

“We found it by accident. “It was muddy and we had to clean it with water,” said farmer Nidal Abu Aid, who was the one who hit his head while cultivating the field.

“We realized it was a valuable item, but we did not know it had such archaeological value,” he told the BBC.

“We thank God and we are proud that he has remained on our land, in Palestine since the time of the Canaanites.”

The statue of Anat – one of the most famous Canaanite deities – is now on display in Kasr al-Basha, the historic building where it is housed. One of several museums in Gaza.

At a press conference on Tuesday dedicated to the opening of the work, Hamal-led Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Director Jamal Abu Rida said the statue had “stood the test of time” and was carefully examined by experts.

He noted that he was sending a political message.

“These findings prove that Palestine has a civilization and a history and no one can deny or falsify this history,” he said. “It represents the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilization“.

Not all archeological discoveries in Gaza have received such great approval or success.

Hamas – a militant Islamist organization – has previously been accused of destroying the remains of a large fortified village in Canaan, Tel al-Sakani, to build residences and military bases south of the heavily populated city of Gaza.

A life-size bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo was discovered by a fisherman in 2013, but then mysteriously disappeared.

However, this year Hamas reopened the archeological site of a 5th-century Byzantine church after donors helped pay for a multi-year restoration project.

Construction was also halted in northern Gaza when 31 tombs from the Roman period were discovered on the site.

While these ancient sites may be potentially attractive places for foreign tourists, Gaza has virtually no tourism industry.

Israel and Egypt strictly control the movement of people in and around the impoverished coastal enclave, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, citing security concerns.

By Yolande Knell