First, the surprise, then, the emotion, followed by the irresistible desire to interpret, understand or at least to begin to understand the sublime meaning of it all!  

We have just visited the first spot excavated by the archaeologist Francesco P. Eugenia Alliata in the Grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Next, we will see some unexpected, and very exciting new historical and archeological discoveries made during the work to clean this holy site.  

In addition to the discoveries of some floral motifs in the adjacent grotto of Conon, floral motives were found inside the Grotto of the Annunciation which date back to between the fourth and fifth centuries.  However, what has provoked the most historical and archaeological interest has been the discovery of numerous symbols of the cross etched into the wall outside the Grotto which are believed to have been carved by Christian pilgrims to Nazareth in the Middle Ages. 

Both outside and inside the cave painted areas never before seen have been discovered along with some Greek letters.  

Yet the most exciting discovery by far has been the unearthing of the Gallery that leads to the Franciscan Convent. This Gallery was commonly believed to have been dug by the Franciscans to enable hidden access to the Shrine without their being seen by others. However, further research done on the painting and ancient graffiti now suggest that the Gallery must be even older than what was first believed. This gallery  certainly existed before the arrival of the Franciscans in 1600 and it is believed it probably predates even the Crusader period.  

To our delight, in several layers of plaster and superstructures that were applied on the rock, we found incisions left by pilgrims. Until now, these incisions had not been detected in any previous excavations or archaeological searching. The biggest surprise was when the paintings were discovered. They are tiny fragments, not complete works. However, they provide us with a new interpretation as to what the original Grotto may have looked like.  

The discoveries of the paintings were made during the restoration work which is still in progress and being conducted by specialists in the technology of archeological preservation. 

Monitoring of humidity and temperatures of the Grotto over the past months has revealed the threat of future serious deterioration of these precious painting fragments which have already been compromised by the exposure to light and the constant traffic of pilgrims. An attempt at preserving the walls of the Grotto and paintings in the 1970's by treating them with special plastic polymers has resulted in damage to some areas of the original stone matrix and even to some of the paintings.  

A team of chemical and geological experts from the University of Florence have been brought in to do the vital restoration work to preserve for posterity this sacred site. Their plan is to remove the entire polymer material from the Grotto walls and through a process of highly sophisticated nanotechnology reconsolidate the original stone structure.  

The use of these polymers in the earlier restoration work did not take into consideration the perspiration arising from humidity and thus, a huge amount of salt accumulated and with time seeped out through the walls damaging both the walls and the paintings.  

The scientists cutting edge technology makes possible the reconsolidation of the stone material which will permit the salts to be released slowly from the walls over several years ultimately leading to a point of systemic balance after which the conservation will remain permanently enduring well beyond our lives and those of our children.