Spectacular discovery of ancient shipwreck in Caesarea

The cargo was in good condition despite being lost for over 1,600 years

Two divers have discovered ancient cargo of a merchant ship that sank over 1,600 years ago in the port of Caesarea, Israel.

Many of the artefacts are in an excellent state of preservation such as a bronze lamp depicting the image of the sun god Sol, a figurine of the moon goddess Luna, a lamp in the image of the head of a slave; and fragments of three life-size bronze cast statues.

One of the biggest surprises was the discovery of two metallic lumps composed of thousands of coins weighing 20 kilograms.

Spectacular discovery of ancient shipwreck in Caesarea

Jacob Sharvit, director of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Dror Planer, deputy director of the unit, said “these are extremely exciting finds, which apart from their extraordinary beauty, are of historical significance.”

“The location and distribution of the ancient finds on the seabed indicate that a large merchant ship was carrying a cargo of metal slated recycling, which apparently encountered a storm at the entrance to the harbour and drifted until it smashed into the seawall and the rocks.”