Passing through the many narrow avenues that make up Achrafieh, few would realize that major archeological excavations are under way all around them. The Beirut neighborhood has been experiencing a development boom in the past few years, and construction projects are ongoing, yet in the midst of all this local archaeologists have been experiencing a boom of their own.
Construction companies clearing away old buildings to make room for new luxurious high-rises have unearthed the remnants of nearly 5,000 years of successive civilizations. Assad Seif, head of archaeological research and examination in Lebanon, said this includes layers of Ottoman, Roman, Persian and Hellenic civilizations.
Not literally cashing in.