Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Ancient port in Acre

EXCAVATION:
2,000-year old port discovered in Acre
Archaeologists believe warships docked there in the 2nd century B.C.E.


By Jack Khoury | Jul.18, 2012 | 1:09 AM (Haaretz)

Remnants of an ancient port where warships may have docked 2,300 years ago have been uncovered in Acre, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced.

The port installations date back to the Hellenistic period - the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C.E.

In digs being conducted at the foot of the city's southern seawall, not far from the current port, and extending to the area known as Horses Beach, archaeologists have found a quay and other evidence of the port, which was probably the most important port in ancient Palestine during the Hellenistic era, they say.

[...]
The article says that they first began finding evidence of a quay in 2009, but this is the first report I've seen of it.

(HT reader Yehoshua Rabinowitz.)

UPDATE: Here is the IAA press release (HT Joseph Lauer): Akko’s Magnificent Harbor from 2,300 Years Ago is Exposed on the Seabed (July 2012).