Mosaic Tesserae

Small tesserae or tiles were cut from stone and shaped in cubes or other forms to be used in creating a mosaic. They could be assembled with pieces of various colors to form simple or ornate designs and images. These tesserae are from the Roman period ca. first century CE and were discovered in an elegant home in ancient Aphek-Antipatris, a settlement located near present-day Tel Aviv, Israel, at the site of Tel Aphek. They were embedded in plaster to serve as a floor in the house.