NETANYA, ISRAEL—According to an I24 News report, a swimmer spotted some worked marble at a shipwreck site located off the Mediterranean coast of central Israel and reported his discovery to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Recent storms are thought to have shifted the sands that had buried the wreckage. The marble cargo, dated to the Roman period, includes Corinthian capitals, partially carved capitals, and marble columns measuring up to 20 feet long. IAA researchers think the cargo may have been intended for a grand temple, theater, or other public building. “From the size of the architectural elements, we can calculate the dimensions of the ship; we are talking about a merchant ship that could bear a cargo of at least 200 tons,” explained Koby Sharvit of the IAA. “These fine pieces are characteristic of large-scale, majestic public buildings,” he added. “Even in Roman Caesarea, such architectural elements were made of local stone covered with white plaster to appear like marble. Here we are talking about genuine marble.” For more on Roman marble production, go to "Kaleidoscopic Walls."
