Research Sheds Light On Ancient Egyptian Port And Ship Graveyard

Past Horizons ^ | Tuesday, March 26, 2013 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

New research into Thonis-Heracleion, a sunken port-city that served as the gateway to Egypt in the first millennium BC, was examined at a recent international conference at the University of Oxford. The port city, situated 6.5 kilometres off today’s coastline, was one of the biggest commercial hubs in the Mediterranean before the founding of Alexandria...

This obligatory port of entry, known as ‘Thonis’ by the Egyptians and ‘Heracleion’ by the Greeks, was where seagoing ships are thought to have unloaded their cargoes to have them assessed by temple officials and taxes extracted before transferring them to Egyptian ships that went upriver. In the ports of the city, divers and researchers are currently examining 64 Egyptian ships, dating between the eighth and second centuries BC, many of which appear to have been deliberately sunk. Researchers say the ships were found beautifully preserved, in the mud of the sea-bed. With 700 examples of different types of ancient anchor, the researchers believe this represents the largest nautical collection from the ancient world...

“One of the key questions is why several ship graveyards were created about one mile from the mouth of the River Nile. Ship 43 appears to be part of a large cluster of at least ten other vessels in a large ship graveyard,” explained Dr Robinson. “This might not have been simple abandonment, but a means of blocking enemy ships from gaining entrance to the port-city. Seductive as this interpretation is, however, we must also consider whether these boats were sunk simply to use them for land reclamation purposes.”

[ilovesarah2012]

Yet fossils survive for millions of years?

[Bryan]

I don’t believe you understand.

Many fossils are rock formations. Sedimentary stone forms around a portion of an animal’s remains, which is usually a bone. The bone often doesn’t last, but the rock does.

Bones can also become petrified, essentially becoming stone themselves, although the most common form of petrified organic matter is petrified wood. Bones can be preserved without petrification too. Teeth are more common. But even feathers and skin fragments have been found without any petrification. All these results are completely dependent on local conditions, such as the amounts and types of minerals present in the ground water.

A wooden ship laying on the bottom of shallow ocean water, however, tends to get eaten. There are too many worms and bacteria living in seawater that find wood to be very tasty.

[SunkenCiv]

Yes, of course fossils survive millions (and billions) of years, they’re rocks. The organic materials were substituted with minerals, which is why they’re generally incomplete and rare.l.

This thread isn’t about the Exodus, or the Sea of Passage, so knock it off.

[ilovesarah2012]

And Happy Easter to you, too.

[Partisan Gunslinger]

Yes, of course fossils survive millions (and billions) of years, they’re rocks. The organic materials were substituted with minerals, which is why they’re generally incomplete and rare.l.

There has never been a fossil in sea water that shows evidence of a wooden origin?

This thread isn’t about the Exodus, or the Sea of Passage, so knock it off.

Wow, why so uppity? What is it about biblical archaeology that makes you so rude?

[Partisan Gunslinger]

2Yet fossils survive for millions of years?

The Med is sea water, the Gulf of Aqaba is sea water. You have a legitimate question.

[ilovesarah2012]

Thank you.

[TXnMA]

I have done a bit of research on the objects photographed underwater and billed as "chariot wheels". Notice that they are never photographed (as a legitimate archaeological research photo would be) with a scale or any other object that would give one a sense of their actual size.

Many of them have gracefully-curved spokes and/or are "faired" (with spoke ends flared out and blended into the wheel and hub). AFAIK, no ancient wheelwright ever did either of those things; it would simply be too much work for no functional improvement.

Now, if you want to see the exact same things -- out of the water -- go to Google Images and search for "valve wheel". You will be greeted with a page of pictures of wheels that look exactly like those depicted underwater -- complete with curved spokes and "faired" spokes.

    

Note that many of the similar valve wheels have square or hexagonal holes in the center. It is common for the worker to carry a wheel with him from valve to valve, slip the wheel over the square or hex valve stem, adjust the valve, remove the wheel -- and carry it with him to the next valve.

Unsurprisingly, valve wheels occasionally get dropped overboard or are washed or roll overboard when dropped.

Conclusion: those "chariot wheels" are merely modern valve wheels that fell overboard from tanker ships.

~~~~~~~~

Don't feel bad -- those "sunken chariot wheels" had me wondering at first, too... '-)

TXnMA
Texas Archaeological Steward

[ilovesarah2012]

Thanks. I’ll do a little more research when I have time. I would think they would probably be buried by now anyway, but you never know.

[Salvavida]

I never considered that, thank you.

[colorado tanker]

Nice to see a GGG ping. Wow, that stele is in fantastic condition.

[Thud]

Thank you for reviving this list.

[TXnMA]

Sunken Civ, Let me add my thanks to you for reviving the list!

If I weren't

A) swamped with a minimum of seven ongoing archaeological projects at any given time

and

B) over 3/4 century old...

I'd volunteer to help with it -- but -- I might be more hindrance than help... '-)

[KGeorge]

Looks like it’s fine. Thank you for the pings!

[Rocky]

The stele of Thonis-Heracleion

All the news that's fit to print?

[SunkenCiv]

Actually you are the intruder in this and you are the one being rude. Furthermore, what you said about me is false, iow a lie, making you a liar.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s interesting that the rulers put up basically permanent proclamations, considering 90 or 95 percent of the population was illiterate, but of course, having it posted in public like that meant that no one could plead ignorance of the law, or claim the law hadn’t gone into effect yet. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks all for the kind remarks about the GGG list revival. Here’s hoping that it assists in some way with the FReepathon, and isn’t just a drag on the bandwidth, i.e. the tent where we’re holding this revival. :’)

[KGeorge]

Looks like Y’All are back with a bullet- Fantastic!

[Partisan Gunslinger]

Actually you are the intruder in this and you are the one being rude. Furthermore, what you said about me is false, iow a lie, making you a liar.

Intruder? lol I didn't know you had your own exclusive club.