The Depositional Contexts of the Ships from Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt

Abstract

Over 70 ancient vessels have been discovered by the Institut Européen d'Archéologie Sous-Marine in the port-city of Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt. These were deposited both individually and in groups from the 8th to the 2nd century BC. This paper investigates the contexts of these vessels to suggest that a variety of explanations-shipwrecking, ritual deposition, abandonment, and structural reuse-account for their deposition. It also seeks to place these events within the changing landscape of Thonis-Heracleion to understand the agency behind many of the decisions about what to do with old ships and boats at the end of their use-life.