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Experts have restored a 1,400-year-old glass mosaic glowing in gold that was recovered from an ancient palace in northern Israel, authorities announced Monday.

Officials with the Israel Antiquities Authority believe the mosaic panel is the only one of its kind, due to both the quality of its preservation and its gleaming, gilded craftsmanship that suggests Christian origins.

"It's a unique find, a piece of art," said Joseph Patrich, professor of archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

"It's in its original state," Patrich said, because the panel fell face down, protecting its green, blue, and gold facade from debris and damage.

The mosaic was discovered in 2005 in Caesarea, an ancient city on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee known for its ancient Roman, Byzantine, and Crusades-era ruins (see map).

During the excavation of a palace there, the original floor was exposed, revealing the panel lying face down in one of the larger paved mosaics.

Conservationists detached the panel from the floor in a risky operation and were then faced with the task of removing centuries of dirt and fire damage caused by the destruction of the palace in late 6th or early 7th century A.D., Patrich said.

The mosaic is particularly important because the small colored tiles forming it features two styles of tiling: gold glass and the more traditional multicolored, opaque glass commonly associated with mosaics, he said. The tiles depict two motifs: crosses and eight-petaled rosettes.

The owner and origin of the palace in which the panel was found is unclear. All that is known is that its residents were likely Christian, experts said. The original role of the restored panel also remains unknown.