JERUSALEM, June 26 (UPI) -- Archaeologists recently unearthed well-preserved parts of an ancient Roman road that once linked Jerusalem and Jaffa, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.
The discovery was made in an archaeological dig near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina two weeks ago, before the laying of drainage pipe in the neighborhood, the authority said.
"Several segments of the road were previously excavated by research expeditions of the IAA, but such a finely preserved section of the road has not been discovered in the city of Jerusalem until now," said David Yeger, head of the excavation.
The 8-meter (26.2 feet) -wide road was built from large flat stones fitted together to create a comfortable walking surface, the IAA said.
"The Romans attached great importance to the roads in the [Roman] empire. They invested large sums of money and utilized the most advanced technological aids of the period in order to crisscross the empire with roads," Yeger said.
