Shipwrecked marble artifacts from 1,800 years ago unearthed after recent storms

Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY
·1 min read
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A diver touches an 1,800-year-old beam that sank with a ship in waters off Israel.
A diver touches an 1,800-year-old beam that sank with a ship in waters off Israel.

Recent storms in Israel have led to the discovery of rare marble artifacts that sank with a ship more than 1,800 years ago.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said in an online post this week that an experienced sea swimmer spotted ancient columns in waters off the Beit Yanai beach near the Mediterranean resort city of Netanya.

The swimmer, Gideon Harris, reported the sighting to the antiquities authority, which said the find included enormous, Roman-period marble architectural elements, including 20-foot-long beams.

“It seems that these valuable architectural elements were destined for a magnificent public building -- a temple or perhaps a theatre,” the post said.

Koby Sharvit, director of the authority’s underwater archaeology unit, said in a statement that the group has been aware of the shipwrecked cargo “for a long time.”

“But we didn’t know its exact whereabouts as it was covered over by sand, and we could therefore could not investigate it,” he said. “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.”

The authority said that the ship must have encountered a storm in the shallow waters off the coast and “dropped anchor in a desperate effort to prevent the ship from grounding.”

Based on the size of the architectural pieces found, Sharvit said that the merchant ship likely could have held a cargo of at least 200 tons.

It’s believed the cargo originated in Turkey or Greece and planned to reach a southern port city.

A diver touches an 1,800-year-old beam that sank with a ship in waters off Israel.
A diver touches an 1,800-year-old beam that sank with a ship in waters off Israel.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 1,800-year-old marble artifacts in shipwreck found by Israeli swimmer