An unprecedented look into the Iron Age maritime economy has emerged from the seabed off Israel's Carmel Coast, where researchers documented three distinct ship cargoes within the ancient, submerged port city of Dor, also known as Tantura Lagoon. This discovery marks the first direct physical evidence of seafaring trade from this era unearthed within a recognized Iron Age port settlement across the southern Levant. The findings, detailed in the academic journal Antiquity, bridge a gap in understanding previously reliant on land-based evidence.
The collaborative project, led by Thomas E. Levy of the University of California San Diego and Assaf Yasur-Landau of the University of Haifa, utilized advanced cyber-archaeology techniques alongside traditional underwater excavation. The team uncovered three superimposed cargo assemblages spanning from the 11th to the 6th centuries BCE, illustrating continuous, yet evolving, international exchange over 500 years. The integration of these methods allowed for a remarkably clear reconstruction of ancient shipping activities.
The oldest collection, designated Dor M and dating to the 11th century BCE, signifies a post-Bronze Age collapse renaissance in long-distance trade. Its contents included storage vessels and an anchor bearing Cypro-Minoan script, clearly indicating robust commercial arteries connecting the region with Cyprus during that early period. This initial evidence aligns with historical narratives, such as the Egyptian Report of Wenamun, which described voyages to Dor around 1000 BCE.
The subsequent assemblage, Dor L1, originating from the late 9th to the early 8th century BCE, contained jars characteristic of Phoenician craftsmanship. This suggests continued, significant sea activity, even as direct ties with Egypt and Cyprus appeared less prominent, pointing toward the increasing dominance of Phoenician seafarers in regional shipping lanes during a time when Dor was likely under the control of the Kingdom of Israel.
The most recent grouping, Dor L2, dated to the late 7th or early 6th century BCE, reveals a shift toward industrialized trade. This cargo featured Cypriot-style basket-handle amphorae alongside iron blooms—masses of crude iron metal. This specific cargo strongly suggests the commencement of a more industrialized scale of metal trade passing through Dor, which was operating under Assyrian or Babylonian imperial influence at that time.
Collectively, these layered discoveries reinforce the understanding that Dor functioned as a crucial nexus for Mediterranean exchange, adapting its cargo profile in response to shifting geopolitical powers throughout the Iron Age. The meticulous mapping of these submerged remnants allows scholars to perceive the ancient world as a dynamic system of constant reorientation and connection.