In a remarkable archaeological revelation, an ancient shipwreck, discovered some 1,200 years after it sank off the coast of Israel, offers intriguing evidence that Western traders continued to arrive at this port even in the wake of the Islamic conquest of the Holy Land.
This sunken vessel, laden with cargo sourced from across the Mediterranean, provides a window into a time when the predominantly Christian Byzantine Empire was losing its grasp on the region, and Islamic rule was expanding its influence.
Deborah Cvikel, a nautical archaeologist at the University of Haifa who led the excavation responsible for uncovering this maritime treasure, highlights the significance of this find. It challenges the conventional narrative that international commerce in the Mediterranean had dwindled significantly during this period. “The history books,” she notes, “they usually tell us that… commerce almost stopped. There was no international commerce in the Mediterranean. We had mainly smaller vessels sailing along the coast doing cabotage.”
However, this shipwreck paints a different picture. Cvikel describes it as a large vessel, with the original ship estimated to be around 25 meters (82 feet) in length, brimming with cargo originating from various Mediterranean regions.
Artifacts discovered on deck provide insights into this ship’s history. Dating back to the 7th or 8th century AD, it’s believed to have docked in Cyprus, Egypt, and possibly Turkey, with speculations extending as far as the North African coast.
The excavation of this historical treasure trove is made possible through the support of organizations like the Israel Science Foundation, Honor Frost Foundation, and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University.
Israel’s coastline harbors numerous shipwrecks that have sunk over millennia. These wrecks are particularly accessible for study due to the shallow waters and sandy seabed, which preserve artifacts remarkably well. Sometimes, a shift in the sands caused by storms can reveal hidden relics, as was the case with this recent discovery at Maagan Michael. Amateur divers noticed a piece of wood protruding from the seabed and promptly reported it to authorities.
Eight excavation seasons later, Cvikel’s team has meticulously mapped out much of the 65-foot-long (20 meters), 16-foot-wide (5 meters) wooden skeleton that remains. This remarkable find underscores the resilience of trade connections in the Mediterranean during a time of significant historical change and sheds light on the enduring allure of this ancient sea route.
