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- Oldest ship ever found in deep seas discovered off Israeli coast
Oldest ship ever found in deep seas discovered off Israeli coast
Archaeologists say the landmark discovery completely changes the understanding of ancient mariners' navigational skills
![The Canaanite jars exposed to daylight after more than 3,300 years.](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/c1/d2/67/8c/1b/e6/ab/e6/c3/d6/36/45/32/72/b0/a3/c1d2678c1be6abe6c3d636453272b0a3.jpg?width=1000)
A world-class discovery found off Israel’s shore: A 3,300-year-old ship was discovered 1.8 kilometers beneath the sea’s surface, with hundreds of intact jars.
The dramatic finding of the most ancient ship discovered in the deep seas upends the current understanding of ancient mariner’s skills.
![Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/2f/20/b9/4d/fc/a7/92/74/7a/49/05/0f/45/f8/c9/b7/2f20b94dfca792747a49050f45f8c9b7.jpg?width=750)
Setting sail on the open sea requires navigational skills that were presumed to have been developed in more recent history. Until then, it was thought that ships sailed from port to port, always keeping the coast within view. Located 90 kilometers (56 miles) off the northern Israeli coast, surrounded by water and no land in sight, the sailors would have had to use the stars as their guide, using the position and angle of the sun and other celestial bodies to determine their position.
The ship was found during a standard seafloor survey by Energean, a leading natural gas company that operates four offshore fields near Israel. During a survey about one year ago, the company’s advanced submersible robot came upon a large pile of jugs on the seafloor. After contacting the Israel Antiquities Authority, they were identified as Canaanite storage vessels from the Late Bronze Age. “It turned out to be a sensational discovery, far beyond what we could imagine,” said Dr. Karnit Bahartan, Environmental Lead at Energean.
![Courtesy of Energean, via IAA](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/a8/7c/df/ca/21/ed/45/da/98/38/81/5a/67/40/14/00/a87cdfca21ed45da9838815a67401400.jpg?width=750)
According to mapping of the site, the ship was determined to be approximately 12 to 14 meters long and transporting hundreds of tall, narrow-necked jars. Only some of the amphorae are visible above the seafloor, with a second layer as well as the wooden beams of the ship buried beneath the mud.
Since the initial discovery, Energean has worked with the IAA to extract samples of the amphorae using their Energean Star ship, which is equipped to conduct deep-sea work. The company planned a unique operation and even built a special tool to retrieve the artifacts with minimal risk of damage to the archaeological site. Over the course of two days, the team extracted two vessels, each from a different extremity of the ship, to minimize disturbances to the intact assemblage of the boat and its cargo.
![Courtesy Energean, via IAA](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/bc/9c/08/49/86/54/cd/55/76/43/9d/5e/56/cb/1b/a9/bc9c08498654cd5576439d5e56cb1ba9.jpg?width=750)
![Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/9f/7e/bb/37/c4/b3/17/32/85/f8/c8/bc/92/b5/db/b8/9f7ebb37c4b3173285f8c8bc92b5dbb8.jpg?width=750)
This ship is both the first and the oldest vessel to be found in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea, making it a history-changing discovery, according to Jacob Sharvit, the head of the Israel Antiquities Authority Marine Unit. Only two other shipwrecks from the Late Bronze Age have been found in the Mediterranean Sea, both off the Turkish coast, but they were found relatively near the shore and were accessible with normal diving equipment.
According to Sharvit, the Late Bronze Age saw a significant increase in international commerce, with an emphasis on maritime routes. The technological qualities of ships greatly improved, allowing for greater volumes of goods to be transported. Port cities grew in size and status as maritime trade flourished — as did piracy. Sharvit hopes that further research on the boat will reveal whether it sank as a result of a storm or from an attack.
![Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/cb/30/f5/03/0a/0a/cb/91/23/52/1f/a6/29/2a/74/cc/cb30f5030a0acb9123521fa6292a74cc.jpg?width=750)
The shipwreck’s depth means it has been exceptionally well-preserved, almost frozen in time since the moment of disaster. Sharvit says the vessel and its contents have not been disturbed by divers or fishermen, not affected by waves and currents that can impact shipwrecks in more shallow waters. “There is tremendous potential here for research,” Sharvit concludes.
![Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/02/70/8a/5a/07/a8/13/d8/6e/29/22/c8/b6/98/48/93/02708a5a07a813d86e2922c8b6984893.jpg?width=750)
![Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/36/5b/6c/b4/22/1b/ba/ff/d8/ce/df/74/d9/75/22/f3/365b6cb4221bbaffd8cedf74d97522f3.jpg?width=750)
The jars likely contained mass-produced products like oil and wine, and the sea vessel was likely carrying other agricultural products like fruit onboard. “Finding such a great quantity of amphorae on board one single ship is testimony to significant commercial ties between their country of origin and the ancient Near Eastern lands on the Mediterranean coast,” says Sharvit.
The vessels will be presented to the public in the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, which will soon host a limited series of tours.