Archaeology
Roman shipwreck carrying architectural marble found off Israeli coast
A shipwreck that sank 1,800-years-ago off the coast of Moshav Beit Yanai in central Israel has been discovered containing ornate marble architectural pieces.
The location of the wreck site was first identified by Gideon Harris, who contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority reporting that he observed ancient columns on the seabed.
This led to an underwater survey, revealing Corinthian capitals decorated with vegetal motifs, partially carved capitals, and a huge marble architrave measuring up to 6 metres in length.
Koby Sharvit, Director of the underwater archaeology unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority. “We have been aware of the existence of this shipwrecked cargo for a long time,” he says, “but we didn’t know its exact whereabouts as it was covered over by sand, and we could therefore could not investigate it.”
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
“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,” added Sharvit.
Archaeologists suggest that the marble was destined for a high-status public building such as a temple or theatre, however, it is evident that the ship encountered a storm in shallow waters and dropped anchor in an attempt to prevent the ship from grounding.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
“Such storms often blow up suddenly along the country’s coast,” says Sharvit, “and due to the ships’ limited manoeuvring potential, they are often dragged into the shallow waters and shipwrecked.”
The ship probably came from the Aegean or Black Sea region in Turkey or Greece, and was likely destined for one of the ports along the southern Levantine coast, Ashkelon or Gaza, or possibly even Alexandria in Egypt.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
The discovery has settled a long-debated argument on whether the Romans imported architectural elements that were completely worked in their lands of origin, or whether they were transported in a partially carved form and were carved and fashioned at their site of destination.
Gideon Harris has been awarded a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship. According to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “Gideon’s report epitomises the value of a citizen’s awareness regarding antiquities, and even more the importance of reporting them to the Israel Antiquities Authority.”
Header Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
As part of a $40 million Mansion Revitalisation Project, archaeologists have discovered two sealed 18th century glass bottles at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.
Construction of the present manor began in 1734 by George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, which was built in incremental stages by an unknown architect.
Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site is owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organisation in the United States.
From 2023 to 2026, the Mansion Revitalisation Project is conducting a landmark preservation project to safeguard the Mansion’s original building fabric and ensure its structural integrity.
During phase 1 of the project, archaeologists conducted small-scale excavations in the Mansion cellar where they discovered two intact European-manufactured bottles which date from the 1740s to 1750s.
Both bottles are made from a dark green glass and contain a liquid, which were recovered from a pit buried beneath the cellar’s 1770’s brick flooring.
Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn, said: “We have made a number of interesting discoveries, including this blockbuster find of two fully intact glass bottles containing liquid that have not been seen since before the war for American independence.”
The bottles were sent for conservation and their contents shipped to a laboratory for a scientific analysis in a controlled environment.
The analysis revealed that the liquid contents still had the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms (familiar to residents of the region during the spring season), and also contained preserved cherries, including the stems and pits.
Header Image Credit : Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Sources : George Washington’s Mount Vernon
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists excavating Stuttgart’s Roman fort have uncovered a statue depicting a Roman god.
During the Roman period, Stuttgart was the site of Castra stative, a large Roman fort first constructed in AD 90 to protect the villas of the Stuttgart basin and the main highway from Mogontiacum (Mainz) to Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg).
Excavations at the Altenburgschule (Altenburg School) School ny archaeologists from ArchaeoBW and the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) have revealed traces of the fort, in addition to a stone sculpture made from sandstone.
The sculpture measures 30 centimetres in height and depicts a kneeling figure with a human head, however, the lower part of the body is that of a serpent, suggesting that the figure is a fusion of a Germano-Roman deity.
According to the archaeologists, the figure was part of a large column in dedication to Jupiter, where figures of deities crowned tall stone pillars erected in public squares. Similar examples excavated from the site and locality can be found in the collections of the Württemberg State Museum
The Stuttgard Regional Council said: “Overall, it is a great stroke of luck that the newly found statue can be linked to a fragment that has long been stored in the Württemberg State Museum depot.”
“This makes it possible to reconstruct a Jupiter giant column that was once placed in the area of an important street intersection in the Roman settlement of Roman Suttgard. For archaeologists, this is another piece of the puzzle of the state capital Stuttgart’s rich Roman past.”
Header Image Credit: LAD/A. Thiel
Sources : Stuttgart Regional Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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