The DW2 Shipwreck: Evidence of Trade with Small Vessels (Coasters) in Southern Syria and the Land of Israel during the Late Ottoman Period /ספינה טרופה: עדות לסחר בכלי שיט קטנים בדרום סוריה ובארץ ישראל בשלהי התקופה העות'מאנית

Authors

Idit Yovel Even-Zur, Haifa University
Jacob Sharvit, Israel Antiquities AuthorityFollow
Ofra Barkai, Israel Antiquities AuthorityFollow

Abstract

Three excavation seasons conducted in the southern lagoon of Dor uncovered the remains of the Dor Wreck 2 (DW2) shipwreck—a 15.5 m-long trading coaster built from poor-quality but well-preserved wood. The ship was constructed using techniques characteristic of the Mediterranean shipbuilding tradition. The hull of the ship was well-preserved, indicating it could carry up to 20 tons of cargo. However, due to the scarcity of finds, it is not possible to determine the ship’s cargo. The identified wood species suggest that the ship was constructed in western Turkey or southwestern Syria. Carbon-14 dating, combined with electrochemical analysis of the corrosion layer and pipes uncovered in situ on the ship, places the ship’s activity in the early nineteenth century CE. Given the condition of the preserved wood, it is possible that the ship was relatively new when it sank.

Keywords

shipwreck, coaster, trading, hull, marine archaeology

Recommended Citation

Yovel Even-Zur, Idit; Sharvit, Jacob; and Barkai, Ofra (2025) "The DW2 Shipwreck: Evidence of Trade with Small Vessels (Coasters) in Southern Syria and the Land of Israel during the Late Ottoman Period /ספינה טרופה: עדות לסחר בכלי שיט קטנים בדרום סוריה ובארץ ישראל בשלהי התקופה העות'מאנית," Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel: Vol. 1, Article 18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/3078-8528.1017
Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/qadum/vol1/iss1/18