An ancient Roman-era cargo shipment of marble was found by a local beachgoer off the coast of Israel’s Yanai beach in what is the first discovery of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday.
The cargo shipment of marble items had been known to the Israel Antiquities Authority for years, but because it was covered in sand, its exact location was unknown.
However, recent stormy weather had helped expose it.
The find was spotted by a local swimmer, Gideon Harris, who reported it to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
What was in the cargo shipment?
The marble cargo shipment included Corinthian columns decorated with capitals. It is theorized that these valuable marble columns would have been used for an important construction project, such as for a temple or theater.
A diver is seen inspecting part of a Roman-era marble cargo shipwreck off the coast of Israel. (credit: ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY UNIT)These items were very valuable and the marble aesthetic was highly sought-after in the ancient world. For example, in Caesarea, back during Roman times, buildings were made of local stone but covered with stucco to make it look like marble, as noted by Israel Antiquities Authority maritime archaeology unit director Kobi Shavit.
The cargo itself likely originated from somewhere in the Aegean area, modern-day Turkey or Greece. It is unknown where it was headed, but its likely destination was a southern port city such as Gaza, Ashkelon or even Alexandria in Egypt.
On its way, however, the ship likely got caught up in a storm in shallow waters and tried to drop anchor to keep from drifting away, but this instead resulted in a shipwreck.
This would have been a large ship, too. Judging by the size of the items, it would have been a vessel capable of carrying at least 200 tons.
Thanking civilians for archaeological discovery
The Israel Antiquities Authority in a statement highlighted the importance of local civilians in being vigilant for archaeological discoveries.
Israel, a country that has been home to numerous civilizations for thousands of years, is a hotbed of archaeological discovery. Because of this, the Israel Antiquities Authority has jurisdiction over excavations.
Civilians who stumble upon archaeological finds are able to report them to the Antiquities Authority, so they can be properly studied and conserved.
The organization’s director-general Eli Escusido praised Harris for his discovery.
“Gideon’s report illustrated how essential it is for citizens to be vigilant for antiquities and how important it is for these discoveries to be reported to the Antiquities Authority.”
Eli Escusido
“Gideon’s report illustrated how essential it is for citizens to be vigilant for antiquities and how important it is for these discoveries to be reported to the Antiquities Authority,” Escusido said.
“This is invaluable information for building the Land of Israel’s story.”
Comments are closed.