Yaacov Kahanov

The Tantura F Shipwreck: The Ceramic Material

Abstract The Tantura F shipwreck was discovered in the Dor/Tantura lagoon, Israel. Among the finds were about 30 ceramic items. The typology of the pottery assemblage dates it between the mid-7th and the end of the 8th centuries AD — the early Islamic period in the region. The ceramic assemblage is of major significance in the determination of the ships period of construction. Petrography and chemical composition analyses of the ceramics indicate their origins in the Nile Delta, and in the piedmont of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus or southern Turkey. Ovoid amphoras contained mainly fish bones. These may provide a clue to sailing routes and maritime trade along the Levant coast, between Egypt and Dor, including Cyprus or southern Turkey and may also indicate the existence of a community at Dor during that period.

THE GREEK SEWN SHIPBUILDING TRADITION AND THE MA'AGAN MIKHAEL SHIP: A COMPARISON WITH MEDITERRANEAN PARALLELS FROM THE SIXTH TO THE FOURTH CENTURIES BC

This is an attempt to place the construction methods used in the Ma‘agan Mikhael ship in the context of the development of shipbuilding techniques. It also suggests some clues to the evolution of a Greek shipbuilding tradition during this period. Development stages in construction based on Mediterranean parallels are proposed. The suggested conclusions are the results of analysis and comparison of shipwreck characteristics, such as hull shape, framing design and the use of sewing.

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.

The Dor 2001/1 Byzantine Shipwreck, Israel: final report

Dor 2001/1 was a Byzantine coaster, about 16.9 m long, with an estimated displacement of 50 tonnes, dated to the first third of the 6th century CE, and loaded with building stones. It was excavated over five seasons, recorded under water, and a section of the shipwreck was retrieved and studied on land. The hull construction was based on frames without any type of planking edge-fasteners. It is thus among the earliest frame-based shipwrecks found so far in the Mediterranean. The origin of its construction tradition, with flat frames amidships, hard chine and straight sides, might have been related to a riverine tradition.

The ‘Dor 2006’ Shipwreck: The Ceramic Material

Abstract The ‘Dor 2006’ shipwreck was discovered in 2006 south of the Dor/Tantura lagoon, Israel. The hull remains are of a large ship that was unable to enter the shallow anchorage. Among the finds were 20 ceramic items, including bowls, cooking–pots, jugs, a juglet, lids and amphoras. The cargo has not yet been found. Pottery typology, coins and 14C tests of organic material date the shipwreck to between the second half of the 6th and the first quarter of the 7th centuries CE. The construction tradition is different from contemporary shipwrecks from Dor. Petrography and chemical composition analyses of the ceramics indicate an eastern Mediterranean origin.

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.

Neolithic voyages to Cyprus: Wind patterns, routes and mechanisms

ABSTRACT Recent archaeological evidence from Cyprus shows that humans first arrived on the island at around 12,000 calibrated years BP. Visits to Cyprus intensified and resulted in settlement of the island during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A beginning around 11,000 cal BP. Later occupations of the Cypro Pre Pottery Neolithic B from around 10,500 to 9000 cal BP are more numerous and testify to intensive connections with the mainland. Cyprus as an island could have been reached only by seafaring. We examined the possible routes for sailing from the mainland to Cyprus and back to better understand the relationship between the island and the mainland during these periods. The factors that were examined were: sea level; options of available watercraft; sea conditions and currents; navigational skills; sailing routes; and prevailing seasonal and diurnal wind regimes. Because the present wind pattern is understood to generally resemble that of the Terminal Pleistocene pattern, it is suggested that the optimal sailing route and season from the mainland to Cyprus by Neolithic navigators was from southern Turkey between April and October. A passage westward or northwestward from the Levant coast to the southern coast of Cyprus cannot be ruled out. Their return trip was from the east or southeast of Cyprus to the Levant coast. This counter-clockwise Neolithic sailing pattern to Cyprus enabled permanent human settlement of the island and contacts with the mainland.

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 7th–9th Century Tantura E Shipwreck, Israel: construction and reconstruction

The Tantura E shipwreck was discovered in Tantura lagoon, Israel, in a water depth of 2.8 m, covered by 1 m of sand. It was a coaster that plied the Levant coast, dated to the 7th–9th centuries CE. It was recorded under water, but several components were studied on land, as well as the finds. The hull is of frame-based construction, with flat floor timbers and a sharp turn of the bilge. The archaeological evidence, as well as modern design tools and regulations, suggests that Tantura E was c.12.5 m long, of 25 tonnes displacement, and could load c.17.5 tonnes.