Underwater Archaeology

Underwater archaeology - main wrecks discovered

Maagan Mikhael Ship
The wreck was found at Kibbutz Maagan Mikhael, about 30 km south of Haifa, some 70 meters offshore, at a depth of 1.5 m, and under 1.5 m of sand. The ship was a 2400- year-old merchantman, 14 m in length and 4 m beam. A substantial portion of the wooden hull structure has survived in a remarkable state of preservation.
Among the artifacts found aboard were 70 items of ceramic ware, ropes, a lead ingot, a set of carpenter's tools, 12 tons of rocks, mainly blueschist, and a perfectly preserved one-armed wooden anchor, with ropes still attached.
The hull of the ship was dismantled under water, and the timbers were conserved at the University of Haifa. The conservation was carried out over seven years, using polyethylene glycol (PEG). The ship is now reassembled in the Maagan Mikhael Ancient Ship Elisha Linder Museum in the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa.

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Dor 2001/1
The wreck was discovered in Dor/Tantura lagoon, 70 m offshore, 2–3 m south-east of the lagoon's navigation channel, at a water depth of 1m, buried under 1.5 m of sand.
The wreck is dated to the 5th-6th centuries CE. The ship was a flat-bottomed medium-sized merchantman, which carried building stones, of which 80 were found in situ. The ship is estimated to be 16 m long, with a beam of about 6.5 m.
The hull remains include the keel, false keel, 25 planking-strakes, two wales, a chine strake, 19 ceiling planks, part of the mast step assemblage, and more than 30 frames.
The presence of skeleton components, combined with significant longitudinal reinforcements, the method of joining frames to the keel, and the attachment of the planks to the frames – plank butt- scarfs at frame stations and caulking in seams – suggest that the ship was built frame-based.

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Dor 2002/2
A shipwreck about 200 years old was naturally exposed, and discovered by Kurt Raveh on the shoreline of Dor Lagoon in early May 2002. The wreck was excavated in shallow water during two underwater excavation seasons, as an MA project of D. Cvikel, supervised by Y. Kahanov and H. Goren.

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Tantura F
Tantura F was discovered during a survey in Dor/Tantura lagoon in 1996, and the first season of excavation was in 2004. It was found 70 m offshore, in 0.85 m of water, buried under 1.5 m of sand. The wreck was dated to the 8th century CE, the local Early Arab period. The hull survived up to the turn of the bilge and almost to the bow and stern, the remains comprising the keel, frames, planks, stringers, and the mast step assemblage. The hull is clearly of skeleton orientation.The pottery assemblage includes several amphorae, some with resinous lining, and containing fish remains, a juglet, and a cooking pot. Other organic materials include ropes, a reed mat, a wooden spoon, a large needle, and a large amount of fish bones, carobs and olive pits.
The Tantura-F excavations significantly enhance our knowledge of shipbuilding, seamanship and the history of Dor in the period.

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Akko 1 shipwreck

At a depth of about 4 m, covered by more than 500 sandbags after two seasons of excavation (2006, 2007), lies Akko 1. The total length of the wooden shipwreck, at the very bottom, from the last frame at the stern, to the lower end of the false stem was 23 m, and the port side was 4.38 m wide from the keel to the start of the turn of the bilge.

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And much more
Numerous archaeological finds of the researchers affiliated with the Institute for Maritime Studies are on permanent display. The bronze ram of a 2nd Century BCE warship is on display at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa. Finds discovered in Caesarea are displayed at the Ralli Museum in Caesarea, having been displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and other important museums in North America.