The Tantura F Shipwreck, Israel

Tantura F is the first wreck excavated so far in the eastern Mediterranean dated to the beginning of the 8th century AD (the local early Islamic period), based on ¹⁴C and pottery analysis. Among the finds were the remains of about 30 ceramic vessels, two anchors, food remnants, fish-bones, a needle, a spoon and a glass vessel. Tantura F was c .15 m long and 5 m wide, and hull remains comprise keel, frames, planks, stringers, mast-step, and other internal components. Construction features clearly indicate frame-based construction, considerably earlier than it is generally thought to have been first employed.
© 2006 The Authors     

The 7th–9th Century Tantura E Shipwreck,Israel: construction and reconstruction

The Tantura E shipwreck was discovered in Tantura lagoon, Israel, in a water depth of 2.8 m, covered by 1 m of sand. It was a coaster that plied the Levant coast, dated to the 7th–9th centuries CE. It was recorded under water, but several components were studied on land, as well as the finds. The hull is of frame‐based construction, with flat floor timbers and a sharp turn of the bilge. The archaeological evidence, as well as modern design tools and regulations, suggests that Tantura E was c.12.5 m long, of 25 tonnes displacement, and could load c.17.5 tonnes.     

Toggles and Sails in the Ancient World: Rigging Elements Recovered from the Tantura B Shipwreck, Israel

Excavation of the 9th-century AD shipwreck B in Tantura Lagoon, Israel, yielded four toggles, numerous rope fragments, and three pierced wooden spatulate objects believed to be associated with the ship's rigging. In the first half of the article, the toggles are described and compared to a corpus of similar devices found on both land and shipwreck sites. The spatulate devices are tentatively identified as spill-toggles, pierced for attaching a trip-line. The second half of the article traces the textual and iconographical evidence for toggles and sail types––in particular, the lateen––in the ancient Mediterranean, and their possible association.
© 2008 The Author     

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.     

The Enigma of Tantura B: Historical Documentation and the Lack of Circumstantial Documentary Evidence

Tantura B is by far the first early Islamic shipwreck to be discovered off the Palestinian coast. Scientific evidence indicates that this vessel sank some time between the mid-8th and the mid-9th centuries. Neither archaeological remains nor historical sources can ascertain its exact function and origin due to the lack of circumstantial documentary evidence. However, it has been argued that the vessel could be either a coaster, capable of entering rivers or estuaries, or a support vessel operating in the Arab fleet, i.e. , it may have had been used for either military or civil purposes, or both.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

The 19th‐Century Akko 1 Shipwreck,Israel: hull‐construction report

The Akko 1 shipwreck was found in 4 m of water inside the ancient harbour of Akko, Israel, and was fully recorded under water. Several hull‐components were retrieved and documented on land, as well as all the finds. The results of the archaeological research and the study of the historical background suggest that the Akko 1 shipwreck is the remains of an eastern Mediterranean naval auxiliary brig, built at the end of the first quarter of the 19th century, and sailing under the Egyptian flag. The ship was apparently wrecked during the 1840 naval bombardment of Akko. © 2012 The Authors     

Maʻagan Mikhael B,Israel: a preliminary report of a Late Byzantine–Early Islamic period shipwreck

The Ma?agan Mikhael B shipwreck was found in 1.5m of water, beneath 1.5m of sand, 70m off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The hull remains are in a good state of preservation, comprising the endposts, aprons, framing timbers, hull planks, stringers, and bulkheads. The finds comprise rigging elements, wooden artefacts, organic finds, animal bones, glassware, coins, bricks, stones, ceramic sherds, and complete amphoras. The shipwreck was dated to the 7th–8th centuries AD; which makes it an exceptional source of information regarding various aspects of ship construction, seamanship, and seafaring in the area in Late Antiquity.     

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.     

The iron anchors from the Tantura F shipwreck: typological and metallurgical analyses

The Tantura F shipwreck was discovered in 1995 in Dor (Tantura) lagoon, about 70 m offshore. It was a coaster that plied the Levant coast during the local early Islamic period. Among the finds exposed in the wreck site were two iron anchors of the T-shaped type. This type of anchor, dated to between the second half of the fourth and the thirteenth centuries AD, is found throughout the Mediterranean. The anchors were analyzed by typological and archaeometallurgical methods, including radiography, metallographic cross-sections, microhardness tests, SEM/EDS analysis and Optical Emisson Spectroscopy (OES) analysis. Light microscopy revealed heterogeneous microstructure consisting of ferrite, Widmanstätten ferrite-pearlite or pearlite, which is typical of wrought iron made by bloomery. The metallographic and microhardness results revealed that decarburization had occurred, probably during the final hot-working process. The OES analysis, supported by SEM/EDS data, showed that the anchors are similar in composition. Soda-blast cleaning followed by chemical etching revealed the forge-welding lines, clarifying the manufacturing process, which is similar in the two anchors. Thus, it is likely that both anchors belonged to the same ship and, hence, were in situ. This information extends the limited knowledge of technologies and materials used, specifically for the development of metallurgy in the Eastern Mediterranean during the early Islamic period, and enlarges the database of the typology of anchors of that period.     

New insights regarding the Akko 1 shipwreck: a metallurgic and petrographic investigation of the cannonballs

The Akko 1 shipwreck constitutes the remains of a small Mediterranean naval vessel, discovered in Akko harbour, Israel, and excavated over three seasons between 2006 and 2008. Among the finds at the shipwreck site were eleven cannonballs. Two of them, a 9-pdr and a 24-pdr, were retrieved and studied using metallurgical and petrographic methods. The examination of the cast-iron was performed with optical microscopy, SEM–EDS, XRF and microhardness tests. The remains of the casting sand from within the voids in both cannonballs were studied by petrography. Combined with the archaeological evidence and the historical background, the metallurgical and petrographic testing may suggest that Akko 1 was a warship or an auxiliary naval vessel of similar size to, or slightly smaller than, sixth rate, and was in Akko harbour circa 1840.     

The Akko 1 Shipwreck, Israel: the First Two Seasons

The Akko 1 shipwreck was found in 4 m of water inside the ancient harbour of Akko (Acre), 250 m from the ancient wall, with its stern touching a submerged rampart. The dense framing-pattern and relatively thin planking, the extensive use of oak and the origin of the timber, suggest that this is the remains of a small armed ship or auxiliary vessel built in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ship has been provisionally dated to the late-18th or early-19th century, the late Ottoman period. The finds testify to its involvement in one of the naval campaigns at Akko.
© 2008 The Authors     

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.     

Cultural Site Formation Processes in Maritime Archaeology: Disaster Response, Salvage and Muckelroy 30 Years on

Thirty years after Muckelroy's seminal 1976 paper on shipwreck site formation, research on the cultural processes which contribute to the creation and modification of shipwrecks remains limited. It is proposed that by adopting a process-oriented framework, we can integrate and synthesize the documentary, oral and archaeological evidence of human response to shipwreck into a structure which parallels the physical progress of the disaster. Possible cultural responses to shipwreck are considered, from pre-voyage planning through to post-impact salvage, including physical correlations potentially visible in the archaeological record.
© 2006 The Author     

The Navarino Naval Battle Site, Greece—an Integrated Remote-Sensing Survey and a Rational Management Approach

An integrated remote-sensing survey was carried out in Navarino Bay, where in 1827 a battle was fought between the allied British, French and Russian navies and the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. Integration and interpretation of the remote-sensing data has shown the presence of shipwreck remains on the sea-floor and possible shipwrecks buried under the sea-bed. It has also shown that the historical remains are under threat from the heavy anchors of tankers which sink into the sea-bed and, when dragged, dig furrows, thus disintegrating the shipwreck remains. To protect the sites the construction of permanent anchoring systems away from the shipwreck remains is recommended.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

Exploration of Basel Mission Company shipwreck remains at St George's Reef off Goa, West Coast of India: impact of the Basel Mission Co. on society and culture

A systematic exploration of shipwrecks has been carried out in Goa waters since 1997. Exploration off St George's Reef has brought to light the remains of a shipwreck at a depth of 15 m, containing various types of terracotta artefacts intended for house construction. Basel Mission Tile Works 1865' is impressed on bricks, roof and floor tiles. Study shows that the company was active in manufacturing terracotta and exported it to Africa, Australia, Borneo, Sumatra, and other countries. It has been renamed 'Comtrust', and is still producing terracotta using the same techniques. The impact of the Basel Mission Co. on society and culture is discussed. A study of finds of wrecks in the Mangalore and Calicut areas was undertaken.     

A new Bronze Age shipwreck with ingots in the west of Antalya—preliminary results

Archaeological underwater investigations in the coast of Mersin and Antalya districts of the Turkish Mediterranean have been carried out with the permission of the Ministry of Culture of Turkish Republic since 1999. Many shipwrecks, sunken settlements, port structures, ancient harbour facilities and other archaeological remains have been documented and lodged in the national archive. The most important discovery within the scope of our study in 2018 has been revealed at the boundaries of the Ancient Lycia-Lukka Region in Kumluca at the west coast of Antalya. It is a pleasure for us to announce that a new Bronze Age shipwreck has been discovered in the same waters as the Gelidonia and Uluburun shipwrecks excavated by George Bass and Cemal Pulak. This new shipwreck could probably be dated to 16-15th Century BC, earlier than the Gelidonia and Uluburun ships. The main part of the shipwreck consists of at least 73 pillow-type ingots (copper?) and at least 4 bun (pita) type ingots (copper or tin?). Pillow-type ingots are compatible with Buchholz / Bass Type 1 ingots, which are usually dated to 16th-15th century BC and rarely to 14th century BC. Part of the shipwreck cargo continues under the sand and the remaining part of it, probably including its anchor, is also under natural camouflage. In order to avoid damaging the in situ position of the shipwreck, no samples have yet been taken. The different findings observed under the sand and the part forming the main cargo were untouched.     

The Cais do Sodré Shipwreck,Lisbon, Portugal

The timber remains of a shipwreck, probably dating to the late‐15th or early‐16th century and found in 1995 at Cais do Sodré, Lisbon, Portugal, during the construction of a subway station, are described and analysed. © 2011 The Authors     

A Late Bronze Age Shipwreck with a Metal Cargo from Hishuley Carmel,Israel

A 13th‐century‐BC shipwreck site, Hishuley Carmel, is described and discussed. It provides direct evidence for marine transport of copper and tin along the Israeli coast and may indicate inland and maritime trade‐routes of metals in the Mediterranean. The shipwreck represents a supply‐system providing the demand for bronze in the Levant. Trace‐elements and lead‐isotope analysis suggest that the copper came from Cyprus, similarly to bun and oxhide ingots from Uluburun. The source of the tin cannot yet be ascertained. The medium‐size ship was probably grounded and wrecked during a storm. Some of the cargo may have been salvaged in Antiquity. © 2012 The Authors     

'Ruling Theories Linger': Questioning the Identity of the Beaufort Inlet Shipwreck

From 1996 investigators of the Beaufort Inlet shipwreck, off North Carolina, USA, have suggested that the remains are those of the Queen Anne's Revenge , flagship of the pirate Blackbeard. Analysis of the published material, however, indicates that no concrete evidence has yet been found to support this identification and, moreover, shows a strong tendency towards Ruling Theory, whereby researchers seem to shape evidence to fit a pre-conceived identification. This article uses the Beaufort Inlet shipwreck as a case study in the dangers of Ruling Theory and how it can compromise scholarly objectivity, and thwart the generation of useful research questions. It also seeks to demonstrate the benefits of a clear, objective research design for project investigation and management.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

The Edesö Wreck: the hull of a small,armed ship wrecked in the Stockholm archipelago in the latter half of the 17th century

In 2003 a well‐preserved shipwreck was found north of Dalarö in the Stockholm archipelago. In 2007 and 2008 the site was surveyed jointly by archaeologists from the Swedish National Maritime Museum, Södertörn University and the University of Southampton. The surface finds were inventoried and drawings produced of the hull structure, which measures 20 m between the posts. This paper presents the results of recording the hull. The original name of the ship, as well as the precise history of its demise, are unknown, but it appears to have been a small man‐of‐war, built and probably sunk in the late 17th century. It was possibly built in England, or at least in the English fashion of that time.