A natural gas drilling company has discovered a 3,300-year-old ship and its cargo off the coast of northern Israel, one of the oldest known examples of a ship sailing far from land, the company said Thursday. Israel Antiquities Authority.
The discovery of this late Bronze Age ship so far out at sea indicates that the navigational abilities of ancient sailors were more advanced than previously thought, as they could travel without line of sight to the land, pointed out the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The great depth at which the boat was discovered means it has not been disturbed by waves, currents or fishermen over the millennia, providing greater research potential.
“The discovery of this boat changes our understanding of the capabilities of ancient sailors. This is the first ever to be found at such a great distance, without line of sight with any land mass,” recalled Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA marine unit, adding that two similar ships of the same era had been discovered before, but only near the shore.
Mr. Sharvit added that researchers had assumed until now that trade at that time was carried out by boats sailing close to the shore, keeping an eye on land while moving from one port to another. He reasoned that the sailors of the newly discovered boat probably used the sun and stars to find their way.
The wooden boat sank about 90 kilometers off Israel’s Mediterranean coast and was discovered at a depth of 100 meters by Energean, a natural gas company that operates a number of deep-sea natural gas deposits in the territorial waters of Israel.
Energean said it was using a submersible robot to explore the seabed. About a year ago, she came across the 12-14 meter long boat buried under the muddy bottom, nestled under hundreds of jugs thousands of years old.
The boat and its cargo were perfectly intact, the IAA said, adding that the ship appeared to have sunk during a storm or after being attacked by pirates.
So far, the ship has not been recovered.
Energean worked with the IAA to recover two of the jugs, which were likely used to transport oil, wine or fruit, and bring them to the surface for research.
The IAA identified the jugs as Canaanites, a people who resided in the lands bordering the eastern Mediterranean.