Ships and seamanship based on underwater excavations in Israel

For thousands of years, the Mediterranean Sea connected the people that lived along its shores – ancient coastal cities, ports and anchorages, shipwrecks and their cargoes, are all material evidence of human activity. The archaeological remains discovered on the seabed are cultural assets denoting the relationships that existed between man and the sea, and are an important pillar in the study of the history and archeology of the Mediterranean basin. A sunken ship represents a moment frozen in time, and underwater archaeology can offer a unique opportunity to explore and study this ‘time capsule’. The study of a shipwreck site can contribute new and valuable information on various aspects of seafaring, and enrich our understanding of the past. An overview of underwater excavations of ancient shipwrecks in Israel will be presented, followed by three case studies: the Ma‘agan Mikhael II replica ship; the holding power of Bronze Age stone weight anchors; and the 19th century Akko 1 shipwreck.