The Dor 2001/1 Byzantine Shipwreck,Israel: final report

Dor 2001/1 was a Byzantine coaster, about 16.9 m long, with an estimated displacement of 50 tonnes, dated to the first third of the 6th century CE, and loaded with building stones. It was excavated over five seasons, recorded under water, and a section of the shipwreck was retrieved and studied on land. The hull construction was based on frames without any type of planking edge‐fasteners. It is thus among the earliest frame‐based shipwrecks found so far in the Mediterranean. The origin of its construction tradition, with flat frames amidships, hard chine and straight sides, might have been related to a riverine tradition.     

Understanding faunal contexts of a complex Tell: Tel Dor, Israel, as a case study

The complex stratigraphy of the large Levantine tells and the complexity of human behavior that took place on them, poses a major challenge in understanding site formation processes and their reflection in the faunal remains. We studied the contextual deposition of faunal remains in Tel Dor, as a model for complex tell sites, and the possibility of using faunal remains as a tool to distinguish between context types. In addition, we asked how can we use this knowledge to elucidate site formation processes. Our results demonstrate that most loci defined in the field as primary refuse or purposive disposal are indeed different from the loci defined as secondary refuse. Different types of contexts can be differentiated, to a degree, from one another based upon multivariate analysis of faunal remains. Statistical as well as spatial analyses may help elucidate site formation processes and the use of space. Bones can, and in many cases do, reflect primary activities. Lumping zooarchaeological data into a single ‘assemblage’, as done in most zooarchaeological studies today causes major loss of information. Consideration of the specific location of faunal remains can be used as further indication for context identity and for understanding specific activities in a site, with care this can be done even in complex sites such as the ‘urban mounds’ of the Levant.     

Fishing Gear from a 7th-Century Shipwreck off Dor, Israel

The ancient anchorage of Dor, Israel, contains wreck-sites from several periods. Underwater exploration of one Byzantine wreck discovered the remains of a medium-size boat constructed with iron nails. Coin-finds dated it to c .665 AD, after the Muslim conquest. The wreck was probably caused by natural agents, but an event in the Byzantine-Muslim conflict can not be discounted. The artefacts include a group of objects testifying to the practice of light-fishing. Literary sources indicate a prevalence of light-fishing, but archaeological finds are very rare. This discovery clearly indicates light-fishing in late antiquity. A sounding-lead and steelyard can be seen as auxiliary to the fishing.
© 2007 The Authors     

Three-hole composite stone anchors from a medieval context at Caesarea Maritima,Israel

Three-holed stone anchors have been considered the earliest ‘composite anchors’, replacing single-hole ‘weight anchors’ of the Bronze Age. Though there is inconclusive evidence as to the first appearance of this new, revolutionary type, the data from land sites attest its use by the end of the 13th century BCE. Specimens of this anchor have been used as a testimony for Iron Age maritime activity of the Phoenicians and related maritime groups at various sites. While three-holed stone anchors were found in clear medieval contexts, only a few originate from good datable contexts. Recent discoveries derive from both the well-stratified medieval urban settlement of Caesarea, and late deposits on its harbour floor. They include the period between 1101 and 1265, when Crusaders settled in the city. This data calls for a revision of our attitude towards ‘anchorology’ and a reassessment of earlier conclusions concerning typology as a cultural and chronological benchmark.     

Eight Byzantine Shipwrecks from the Theodosian Harbour Excavations at Yenikapı in Istanbul,Turkey: an introduction

Excavations at Yenikap? in Istanbul, Turkey, related to the Marmaray Project, have unearthed remains of Constantinople's Theodosian Harbour, including 37 Byzantine shipwrecks of 5th‐ to 11th‐century date. Eight of these shipwrecks, six round ships and two of the first long ships, or galleys, to be excavated from the Byzantine period, were studied by archaeologists from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. These well‐preserved shipwrecks are an important new source of information on the maritime commerce of Constantinople and the gradual shift from shell‐based to skeleton‐based shipbuilding in the Mediterranean during the second half of the first millennium AD.     

Analysis of hull remains of the Dor D Vessel, Tantura Lagoon, Israel

A relatively closely spaced set of unpegged mortise-and-tenon joints was the significant element revealed in the 7th-century AD shipwreck, Dor D. It provides additional information for the transitional period of shipbuilding in the Mediterranean, and together with additional wrecks it establishes a better database for ship construction in the 4th–11th centuries AD. The preliminary conclusions tend to draw a slightly more complicated picture of the general evolutionary trend, since they present some features that have traditionally been considered as a disappearing technique.     

Symbolic engravings on Byzantine sounding leads from the Carmel coast of Israel

Two Byzantine sounding leads recovered from a shipwreck off the Israeli coast were identified and dated by associated coins and artefacts to the 5th–6th centuries AD. The leads are similarly shaped. A cross and a sign like a capital'P' mark both. They may be from a set including an inshore and a deep-sea lead. A depiction of the stellar constellation Cassiopeia is seen on top of the lug of the small lead. Interpretation of the sign is supported by the navigational role of the constellation as well as by a classical tradition associating it with Jaffa and by its symbolic, anti-storm role.     

Report on Underwater Excavation at the Phoenician Harbour,Atlit, Israel

Atlit is a small Phoenician settlement on the Carmel coast, with an artificial harbour, built during Iron Age II, before the Assyrian occupation, and used until the end of the Persian era. There are no remains of any later construction, in contrast to other Phoenician ports such as Sidon and Tyre. The study of Atlit harbour has therefore provided invaluable information on the positioning, planning and construction of Phoenician harbours in the Levant. This article is a summary of the most recent underwater excavation seasons at the harbour, and presents our conclusions on construction techniques and their historical implications. © 2009 The Author     

Analysis of Byzantine mortars from the Negev Desert,Israel, and subsequent environmental and economic implications

Mortar of different types and compositions was widely known and used in the ancient world, and became widespread throughout the Roman and Byzantine Empires. In many cases lime was used in it as a binder and for better plasticity. This paper discusses two mortar samples from a building in the Negev Highlands, Israel, their analysis under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and with X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the environmental implications in terms of energy consumption in the production process of lime in the Byzantine period.     

Marine Magnetic Survey of a Submerged Roman Harbour, Caesarea Maritima, Israel

A marine geophysical survey was conducted at Caesarea Maritima, Israel, to map the buried structure of King Herod's Roman harbour. Magnetic surveys reveal the presence of an extensive hydraulic concrete foundation below the ruined harbour moles. The magnetic anomaly patterns indicate that the concrete foundation was laid out in header fashion along N-S and W-E trending segments to form two large 'artificial islands'. Magnetic lows within the structure identify baffles that were infilled with sand to stabilise the concrete foundation walls.
© 2004 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

Stone anchors from the Mediterranean coasts of Anatolia, Turkey: underwater surveys and archaeometrical investigations

This study is mainly based on the expeditions and underwater study of stone anchors from the Cilician coast, Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology and the Kaš Uluburun wreck. The stone anchors found on the Cilician coast are very similar to eastern Mediterranean stone anchors with respect to shape and characteristics. The stone anchors from BMUA and KUW were examined by thin section and XRD analysis. They are made of volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The study indicates that the anchors are similar to others found in the Mediterranean.     

A study of the composition and microstructure of silver hoards from Tel Beth-Shean,Tel Dor,and Tel Miqne,Israel

The chemical composition and microstructure of objects excavated in three hoards from the end of the Late Bronze and Iron Age sites in Israel were studied using energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis and optical metallography. The objects are industrial in origin (scrap or jewelry pieces) and include differently shaped ingots, mainly so-called hacksilber, in various sizes. The primary composition is Ag with typically several percent of Cu and Au and less than 1 % of Pb. The concentrations of these metals in each hoard differ significantly. The microstructure of the hacksilber ingots shows a typical dendritic as-cast structure and a surface cold work deformation, probably caused by chiseling the ingot piece off a larger cast bar. Relatively high concentrations of Au, as in the above samples, were observed previously in Egyptian ancient silver which differs from the ancient Greek silver that contains a significantly lower Au content.     

The Byzantine‐Period Dor 2006 Shipwreck,Israel: preliminary hull construction report

The Dor 2006 shipwreck was discovered in 2006, 100 m offshore, 800 m south of Dor (Tantura) lagoon. The wooden hull remains included sections of large frames, stringers and ceiling planks, a large number of strakes and wales, some with unpegged mortise‐and‐tenon joints. Among the finds were ceramic sherds, wooden objects, matting, ropes, food remains, and coins. The shipwreck was dated to between the second half of the 6th and the first quarter of the 7th centuries AD. The wooden components of the hull indicate a large ship compared with other shipwrecks of the period, and the largest ever excavated in the Dor area.