Cargo from 'most ancient' shipwreck found off Israel
- On 18/09/2024
- In Underwater Archeology
- 0 comments
By Rob Corp - BBC
Cargo from the remains of the oldest shipwreck to be found in the deep sea has been discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, Israeli archaeologists have said.
Hundreds of intact amphorae - ancient storage jars - believed to be 3,300 years old, were discovered 90km (56 miles) off the northern coast of Israel at a depth of 1,800m (5,905ft) on the sea bed.
Experts at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) say the discovery suggests sailors of the period were able to navigate the oceans by using celestial navigation - taking bearings from the sun and stars.
The wreck was found during a routine oil and gas survey. According to the IAA, the shipwreck is the "first and oldest" to be found in the region and probably sank during a storm or as a result of a pirate attack.
"This find reveals to us as never before the ancient mariners’ navigational skills," said Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA's marine unit. He added it showed our ancestors were capable of traversing the Mediterranean Sea "without a line of sight to any coast".
"From this geographical point, only the horizon is visible all around. To navigate they probably used the celestial bodies, by taking sightings and angles of the sun and star positions.” The cargo was spotted by robot submersibles belonging to the oil and gas firm Energean which was looking for potential new energy sources off the Israeli coast.
Cameras picked up "what seemed to be a large pile of jugs heaped on the seafloor", according to the company's Karnit Bahartan.
Add a comment