The Iron Age Maritime Interface at the South Bay of Tel Dor: results from the 2016 and 2017 excavation seasons

Shalev, Ehud Arkin; Gilboa, Ayelet; Yasur‐Landau, Assaf

doi:10.1111/1095-9270.12360

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The stones used near the tombolo are considerably smaller than those used in the Iron Ib coastal fortifications in the northern part of the South Bay (ArkinShalev et al, 2019b). The few pottery sherds found embedded in the structure include a Hellenistic handle of a basket and a handle of an amphora.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Archaeological findings from the South Bay are dated at the latest to the Roman Period, while the main groups of artifacts in the North Bay began to appear during the Roman Period. Thus, this would be the most likely time for the transition between the two bays (ArkinShalev et al, 2019b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent excavations and pottery associated with these walls demonstrated that these features belonged to a massive Iron Ib coastal sea wall. During the same excavations, a massive mole made of ashlar stones (Figure 1c) dated by pottery to the Iron II period, now partially covered with a crust of biogenic rock, was found to the south of this fortification line, enabling the unloading of goods to the city (ArkinShalev et al, 2019b). Surprisingly, no remains of Hellenistic maritime infrastructure were found at Dor to date, despite the prosperity of the city and the construction of an elaborate system of fortifications in the 3rd century BCE (Sharon, 1995; Stern, 1994).…”

Section: Environmental and Archaeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The Tantura Lagoon, in which more than 20 shipwrecks of the Roman–Ottoman period were found, is located south of the South Bay and separated from it by a large tombolo (Kahanov, 2011; Raban, 1995). While there is ample evidence for maritime activity and related structures in the northern part of the South Bay immediately south of the Tel (Section 2.2; ArkinShalev et al, 2019a, 2019b), there is, to date, a little information on any structures near the area of the tombolo. Raban (1995) theorized that a now buried passage existed between the South Bay and the Tantura Lagoon, which lies to the south.…”

Section: General Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The door to Dor: Tracing unseen anthropogenic impact in an ancient port

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An on‐land frequency domain electromagnetic geophysical survey was conducted across a tombolo delimiting the southern bay of Tel Dor (northern Israel) to the south. It was accompanied by a marine archaeological survey adjacent to its northern edge. Results indicate a deep channel connecting the bay and the Tantura Lagoon to the south. At its northern exit, an NW–SE trending square anomaly is visible in the geophysical data, buried underneath centuries of sand accumulation. It is parallel and similar in shape and scale to a Hellenistic feature observed in satellite data and excavated during the underwater archaeological survey. It seems that during the beginning/Middle Bronze Age, a natural or manmade channel was utilized as an entrance to the bay. As sea levels rose and sand began to accumulate, the channel was periodically filled in and would have needed to have been cleared. Eventually, it became too expensive or inconvenient to maintain, probably during the Byzantine period. The southern anchorage was abandoned for more favorable conditions to the north of the Tel. The sequence of events shows how ancient builders first utilized a natural channel, maintained it as sea levels rose, and abandoned it when it became too problematic to maintain.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental and Archaeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: General Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The door to Dor: Tracing unseen anthropogenic impact in an ancient port

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Coastal habitation recovered during the Iron Age, ca. 1200–530 BCE, with the earliest examples of harbor construction appear in the sites of Dor [ 40 – 42 ] and Atlit [ 43 – 45 ]. The inclusion of the area into the Hellenistic cultural sphere and later the Roman empire further strengthened the coastal sites, with many, such as Akko, Dor, Caesarea and Ashkelon, growing in size and importance [ 39 ].…”

Section: Regional Setting: Geology and Coastal Settlement History From Middle Bronze To Roman Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

New relative sea-level (RSL) indications from the Eastern Mediterranean: Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period (~3800–1800 y BP) archaeological constructions at Dor, the Carmel coast, Israel

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article presents new archaeological observations and multidisciplinary research from Dor, Israel to establish a more reliable relative sea level for the Carmel Coast and Southern Levant between the Middle Bronze Age and the Roman period (ca. 3500–1800 y BP). Our record indicates a period of low relative sea level, around -2.5 m below present, from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period (ca. 3500–2200 y BP). This was followed by a rapid rise to present levels, starting in the Hellenistic period and concluding during the Roman period (ca. 2200–1800 y BP). These Roman levels agree with other relative sea-level indications from Israel and other tectonically stable areas in the Mediterranean. Several relative sea-level reconstruction models carried out in the current study provide different predictions due to their parameters and do not model the changes observed from field data which points to a non-isostatic origin for the changes. Long-term low stable Iron Age relative sea level can be seen in Dor, where Iron Age harbor structures remain around the same elevation between ca. 3100–2700 y BP. A similar pattern occurs at Atlit, the Iron Age harbor to the north used continuously from ca. 2900 y BP to the beginning of the Hellenistic period (ca. 2200 y BP). An examination of historical and archaeological sources reveals decline and occasional disappearance of Hellenistic sites along the coast of Israel at ca. 2200 y BP (2nd century BCE), as in the case of Yavneh Yam, Ashdod Yam, Straton’s Tower, and tel Taninim. In Akko-Ptolemais, the large harbor installations built in the Hellenistic period were never replaced by a substantial Roman harbor. The conclusions of this research are thus relevant for the sea-level research community and for the historical analyses of the Israeli and South Levantine coastline.

show abstract

The Inland Late Bronze – Iron Age Anchorage of Dor: Ancient Reality or Fantasy?

Shtienberg,

Cantu

2023

Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Iron Age Maritime Interface at the South Bay of Tel Dor: results from the 2016 and 2017 excavation seasons

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

The door to Dor: Tracing unseen anthropogenic impact in an ancient port

The door to Dor: Tracing unseen anthropogenic impact in an ancient port

New relative sea-level (RSL) indications from the Eastern Mediterranean: Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period (~3800–1800 y BP) archaeological constructions at Dor, the Carmel coast, Israel

The Inland Late Bronze – Iron Age Anchorage of Dor: Ancient Reality or Fantasy?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About