Caesarea, May 25: Scuba divers swimming under the blue Mediterranean
sea surface are not always looking for fish, in one spot
they are checking out exhibits in Israel's first underwater
museum in the city of Caesarea.
As divers descend, the light dissipates to reveal
remnants of what experts say was one of the biggest and
most sophisticated sea ports of the Roman Empire.
And for the first time in about 2,000 years, the
ancient harbour is open for business. The tourism business,
that is.
With waterproof maps and an instructor to guide them,
scuba divers can maneuver through the larger artifacts by
following ropes tied between the poles in the sea bed. Snorkelers can
view remnants found in more shallow waters.
Among the artifacts scattered underwater are remains of
a sunken Roman vessel, giant anchors, loading piers, marble
and granite columns and an ancient breakwater.
Sarah Arenson, a maritime historian from Haifa
university who was in charge of the excavations in the past
years, told Reuters Television that Israeli and North
American archaeologists discovered the ruins 30 years ago
and, since last year, have worked to preserve the remnants,
some of which once rested above the surface, to create
Israel's first underwater archaeological museum.
"It was always open for divers but now the novelty is
that the whole site, which is huge as you can see, is all
marked underwater by polls, and ropes leading from one poll
to the next, there are about 28 points of interest,"
Arenson said.
Metal poles with numbered signs mark total of 36
exhibits lying about 20 feet (6 metres) below the
Mediterranean's surface over an area of 200,000 square metres (18,580 sq. ft), she said.
She explained that the Romans conquered Caesarea in 63
BC. King Herod named the port city in 22 BC to honour his
patron Caesar Augustus and commissioned the building of the
harbour, as well as other major projects, many of whose
remains are now on display.
The city later became the Roman provincial capital of
Judea, which is now encompasses Israel and the Palestinian
territories.
Arenson said the ancient harbour first opened in 10 BC
and served more than a century as the main aquatic gateway
for goods such as exotic spices, textiles, dyes and
cosmetics shipped to the Roman Empire from areas as distant
as the Far East.
"Caesarea eclipsed these old famous harbours in
economic importance and in splendour, and then by about the
turn of the first century it started to decline for various
reasons, and after that it was still an active port but not
as important as it was in its first century of existence,"
Arenson said.
She added that after a Jewish rebellion from 66-70 AD,
business in Judea declined and the port was less prosperous.
The harbour's architecture was also among the most
sophisticated in the known world at the time, Arenson said.
The materials used in the construction included marble,
granite and wood, as well as an innovative ingredient at
the time -- Pozzolana, a concrete made from volcanic ash
imported from Italy.
Experts say the port fell into inactivity around 4 AD.
Many believe its foundations were smashed by erosion from
earthquake common to the region, which lies on a major fault line.
Others blame tidal waves.
"The site was interesting, you can't actually see
anything but the anchors which are great, and there is an
ancient pier there," said Boaz Gross, a 22-year-old student
and scuba diver.
"No interesting fish but you know, but I like
archaeology," he added.
Avi Baz, the site's tour guide and diving instructor
who was also a part of the excavation delegation, said
hundreds of people have already dived and snorkeled through
the underwater expedition, a 40- to 50-minute dive. He
predicts numbers will only grow.
"Well, divers in general have the tendency to look for
new things, new sites, new interest, new thrills, and if
they have the tendency or the feel for archaeology - bingo
- they have two in one," he added.
Several countries boast archaeological exhibits under
the sea, such as a palace in Alexandria, Egypt, which
historians believe was used by Cleopatra.
Bureau Report