An enormous cargo of marble artefacts from a Roman-era merchant vessel that sank around 1,800 years ago in the coastal waters of Beit Yanai, about 6km north of Netanya, Israel, has been discovered.
A swimmer spotted the remains of the shipwrecked cargo about 200m from the shoreline of Beit Yanai beach.
The cargo comprises around 44 tonnes of marble architectural elements, including Corinthian capitals adorned with vegetal patters, and marble columns measuring up to 6m in length
Such fine elements were likely intended to adorn an elaborate, large-scale public building, such as a temple or theatre.
‘Even in Roman Caesarea, such architectural elements were made of local stone covered with white plaster to appear like marble,’ said Koby Sharvit, Director of the underwater archaeology unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority. ‘Here we are talking about genuine marble.’
It is thought that the cargo had originated from the Aegean or Black Sea region, possibly Turkey or Greece, and was perhaps destined for a port along the southern Levantine coast, such as Ashkelon or Gaza, or as far as Alexandria in Egypt.
Once at their destination, the architectural elements – which are mostly unworked or partially worked – would have been finished at the construction site.
The position, site formation, and angle of the cargo on the seabed indicate that the cargo was wrecked here after the ship’s crew encountered a storm in shallow waters and dropped anchor to prevent the ship from grounding.
‘We have been aware of the existence of this shipwrecked cargo for a long time,’ said Mr Sharvit, ‘but we didn’t know its exact whereabouts as it was covered over by sand, and we therefore could not investigate it.’
‘The recent storms must have exposed the cargo, and thanks to Gideon’s important report, we have been able to register its location, and carry out preliminary archaeological investigations, which will lead to a more in-depth research project.’
