D. Cvikel

A GRAFFITO OF A NINETEENTH-CENTURY ARMED SHIP FROM AKKO, ISRAEL

The city of Akko (Acre, St Jean d’Acre) lies at the northern extremity of haifa bay, in the north of Israel, and is considered to be one of the most ancient cities of the land (see Fig. 1). It came under ottoman rule in 1517. by the first half of the seven teenth century, several european countries (holland, Great britain, france and Italy) had received trading rights on the levant coast from the Sublime Porte of the ottoman empire. Towards the end of the century, french influence spread through Asia minor, egypt, Syria and the holy land. Great britain and holland traded under the patronage of the french consul, and in 1700 they established a joint consulate in Akko. The city and its harbour continued to develop as an international and local trading centre under the rule of dahr al-umar in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. Akko’s economic prosperity continued into the nineteenth century under the regime of al-Jazzar, who directed maritime activity to the port he developed at Akko. The Mariner’s Mirror Vol. 94 No. 4 (November 2008), 389–405

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.

Two Nails 2400 Years Apart: Metallurgical Comparison Between Copper Nails of the Ma‘agan Mikhael Ship and Its Replica

The Ma‘agan Mikhael ship, dated to 400 BC, was built ‘shell-first’, with the planks first connected edge-to-edge by mortise-and-tenon joints, and then, the frames were fastened to the pre-existing shell by double-clenched copper nails. The construction of a sailing replica began in 2014. The aims of the project are to increase knowledge of ancient ship construction, and to test her sailing capabilities. The shipwrights of the replica reproduced the original components to the closest possible degree of material, shape, and methods. One of the most intriguing elements is the copper nails. The aim of this study was to investigate the replica nails by comparing them with the original shipwreck nails. One example of each nail was tested by archeometallurgical methods. It was demonstrated that the nails of the replica and the original nails of the Ma‘agan Mikhael ship were similar, thus providing additional information on the manufacturing technique of the nails and their application in the hull.

Archaeometallurgical Investigation of Joining Processes of Metal Objects from Shipwrecks: Three Test Cases

This article presents archaeometallurgical research of three types of metal objects excavated underwater from two shipwrecks in Israel: Tantura F (mid-seventh-end of eighth centuries ad) and Akko 1 (first third of nineteenth century). Both non-destructive and destructive methods were employed. The finds were manufactured by joining processes; therefore, the studies concentrated on metallurgical processes. However, these researches were multidisciplinary, combining typological analyses of the archeological objects, as well as the historical perspective. The first case study is of an iron anchor from the Tantura F shipwreck. This anchor has a typical heterogeneous wrought iron microstructure of ferrite–pearlite–cementite and Widmanstätten plates, manufactured from several blooms made by the direct process. The blooms were joined using forge-welding by an expert blacksmith, resulting in a high-quality iron product. The blooms used in the anchor’s circular cross-section shank were forge-welded from iron and steel pieces, producing a composite material with superior mechanical properties. The second case study presents a 12-pdr cannonball from the Akko 1 shipwreck. The cannonball was manufactured from high-quality wrought iron, with a homogenous microstructure of iron matrix and rather large equiaxed α-ferrite grains, produced by an indirect technique, using the hot-forge-welding process. As its production technique pre-dates that of the ship, it is suggested that this cannonball was manufactured in a different place and by a different technology from the other cannonballs found in the shipwreck. It is also possible that the 12-pdr cannonball might have been used as ballast. The third case study deals with brass cases from the Akko 1 shipwreck. The cases were made of brass containing equiaxed α-brass grains with twins, manufactured from rolled sheets that may have originated in Great Britain. The parts were joined by soldering with tin–lead alloy, and it is suggested that the cases were made in an Egyptian workshop.

The Dor C shipwreck, Israel: metallurgical analysis and its contribution to the ship characterization

The Dor C shipwreck is the remains of a 60-t schooner that plied the Mediterranean during the last decades of the nineteenth century. The various building materials and ceramic ware found inside the shipwreck suggest an established commercial route between southern France and the Holy Land. Three metal objects were found in the bow area of the shipwreck: a lead pipe, an iron rigging hoop, and a brass wick housing. This study aims to understand their manufacturing processes, to propose possible dating and manufacturing locations, and to verify their use. The metallurgical investigation suggests that the objects were designated for marine use and manufactured using processes developed during the second half of the nineteenth century, probably post-1885, which supports the dating of the ship. The tonnage of the ship, the origin of her cargo, the provenance of some of the metal parts, and the location of the shipwreck, all suggest that her last voyage was a delivery of cargo from Marseilles to Dor.

The Dor 2002/2 Shipwreck, Israel: Characterization of Surviving Ironwork

The Dor 2002/2 shipwreck provides evidence of a 15-m-long vessel built to a high standard, and adds essential information to our knowledge of the construction of small vessels that plied the Eastern Mediterranean during the late Ottoman period. During the underwater excavations of the shipwreck, two metal objects were retrieved: a wooden heart (rigging element) with an iron ring-bolt, and a broken iron chain link with a piece of metal cable. This study aims to understand the manufacturing processes of the objects, and to propose their possible dating. The artifacts were studied by archaeometallurgical testing methods, including, HH-XRF, metallographic stereo, light and SEM–EDS microscopy, and microhardness tests. The results revealed that the ring-bolt was made of ferrite phase with preferred oriented slag inclusions microstructure, as typical for indirect smelted wrought-iron. The chain link was made of gray cast-iron. The suggested date of the shipwreck was 1800; however, based on the archaeometallurgical test results, it is suggested that the two iron artifacts were manufactured between the years 1839 and 1856. This research demonstrates the important contribution of the study of metal finds to the dating of shipwrecks.

Where are Bonaparte's siege cannon? An episode in the Egyptian campaign

During his expedition to the Holy Land in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte needed to transport his heavy siege artillery for the siege of Acre. Over 200 years later, what happened to the guns remains an enigma. The heavy cannon (24-pounders) were transported from Egypt by sea. One shipment was captured by a British squadron commanded by Sidney Smith, and used in Acres defence against the French army. The other cannon were safely disembarked, and were used by the French to bombard the town. After lifting the siege, the French army retreated southwards, abandoning weapons at Tantura. This article deals with the transportation of the heavy artillery to Acre, and its subsequent fate.

Detecting human-knapped flint with marine high-resolution reflection seismics: A preliminary study of new possibilities for subsea mapping of submerged Stone Age sites

Seismic high-resolution Chirp profiles from the welldocumented submerged Stone Age settlement Atlit-Yam, located off Israel’s Carmel coast, display systematic disturbances within the water column not related to sea-floor cavitation, vegetation, fish shoals, gas or salinity/temperature differences, where flint debitage from the Stone Age site had been verified archaeologically. A preliminary series of controlled experiments, using identical acquisition parameters, strongly indicate that human-knapped flint debitage lying on the sea floor, or embedded within its sediments, produces similar significant responses in the water column. Flint pieces cracked naturally by thermal or geological processes appear not to do so. Laboratory experiments, finite element modelling and controlled experiments conducted in open water on the response to broad-spectrum acoustic signals point to an excited resonance response within humanknapped flint even for sediment embedded debitage, with acoustic signals within the 2–20 kHz interval. The disturbances observed in the water column on the seismic profiles recorded at Atlit-Yam are, therefore, based on these results, interpreted as resonance from human-knapped flint debitage covered by up to 1.5 m of sand. Such a principle, if substantiated by further research, should facilitate efficient and precise mapping of submerged Stone Age sites.

Copper Alloy Coins from the Byzantine-Period Ma‘agan Mikhael B Shipwreck, Israel: Metallurgical Characterization

After three excavation seasons the Ma‘agan Mikhael B shipwreck has revealed, among other objects, seven coins. The coins were found covered with a black concretion layer, which was carefully removed from five of them. Metallurgical methods were used in order to reveal the composition, microstructure, and manufacturing process of the coins and to determine their date and the origin of the raw material. The coins were made of cast copper-lead alloy and were heated before being stamped. Based on the portrait of the House of Constantine I found on coins 120.1 and 120.2, and the figure on coin 120.5, combined with the composition of the coins, they were dated to the fourth century AD, when high concentrations of lead were added to alloys, most probably due to economic constraints. The study of the coins does not identify the ship’s origin or her ports-of-call, since coins were essentially mobile.

Atlit-Yam: A Unique 9000 Year Old Prehistoric Village Submerged off the Carmel Coast, Israel – The SPLASHCOS Field School (2011)

The site of Atlit-Yam is one of the best preserved and most thoroughly investigated submerged prehistoric settlements in the world, with a wealth of finds of material culture and organic remains characteristic of a Pre-Pottery Neolithic village based on a mixed economy of farming and fishing 9000 years ago. Stone-lined water wells were also found, providing a precise measure of sea-level position when the site was in use, as well as a megalithic structure and human burials. Eventually the site was abandoned in the face of progressive sea-level rise, and later Neolithic settlements, were occupied at a higher level, and are now submerged closer to the shore. SPLASHCOS funding to support a Training School, allowed renewed investigations in 2011, providing an unusual opportunity for early stage researchers to gain experience and training on a submerged prehistoric settlement which also resulted in the discovery of some new features. This chapter provides a summary of the finds recovered from Atlit-Yam, the evidence for sea-level change, and a detailed description of the methods used in underwater survey and excavation.