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Article · 2007

Imported building materials of Sebastos Harbour, Israel

G. F. Votruba

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

An article on the pozzolana, timber and foundation cobbles imported to build the moles of Herod's Sebastos Harbour at Caesarea Maritima, with estimates of quantities and shipping.

Votruba examines the origin, quantities and transport of the materials used to build the artificial moles of Sebastos Harbour at Caesarea Maritima. He combines archaeological observations, earlier provenance studies, new wood samples and estimates of shipping requirements, and places construction of the moles between 22 and 15 BCE. The text also discusses a proposed meeting of Herod and Agrippa at Mytilene in 23 BCE and Herod's work at Antioch, proposed to date to 20 BCE.

The marine concrete, the mortar analysis and the botanical identification of formwork wood from Areas G and K supply the evidence. Eleven wood samples collected in 2002 are set beside earlier wood identifications and tree-distribution evidence, and Votruba finds the timber most consistent with sources in southern Turkey. He considers Puteoli the source of the pozzolana and proposes the Seleucia Pieria region as a timber-exporting area. For the Area CO foundation he reports excavation observations and petrographic analysis of 11 cobbles, which he treats as probably foreign; the analysis does not establish their source, and ship's ballast is offered as one possibility Cyprus is also considered as a timber source, with Paphos named as a possible loading port (pp. 326–332).

Votruba argues that the harbour's materials and construction reflect collaboration between Italian and eastern Mediterranean expertise. He estimates that imported materials may have formed about 20% of the harbour's building material, contrasts these functional imports with the predominantly local sand, kurkar and limestone, and notes that exotic building stone is not documented in the harbour remains (p. 333).

What it records

  • Trace-element analysis matched the volcanic ash in the harbour concrete to material from the area of Puteoli and not to closer sources, including the Carmel Ridge.p. 326
  • Votruba estimates that the harbour needed 17,300 m³ of pozzolana, allowing for wastage.p. 327
  • Votruba calculates that carrying the pozzolana would take at least 44 shiploads of 400 tons, and considers five or six dozen more realistic.p. 327
  • The 2002 sampling collected 11 wood samples from Areas G and K2 for botanical analysis.p. 329
  • Votruba proposes the Amanos Mountain region as a possible timber source, because its tree populations match most of the diagnostic species found in the harbour formwork.p. 330
  • Votruba estimates that the harbour formwork needed between about 11,400 and 14,200 m³ of timber, depending on whether some forms were reused.p. 331
  • The cobbles under the Area CO foundation were up to 35 cm across, well rounded and highly spherical, with smooth, polished exteriors.p. 332
  • Petrographic analysis of 11 Area CO cobbles identified cherts, silicified limestones and dolomites.p. 332
  • The original cobble foundation of the Area CO block held about 40 m³ of stones, or approximately 90 tons, by Votruba's estimate.p. 332

Where to read

  • Pozzolana provenance, quantity and shipping estimatespp. 326–327
  • Wood species, proposed timber sources and transportpp. 328–331
  • Area CO cobble foundation and possible originpp. 331–332

Contents

  • The architecture of the moles325
  • Pozzolana importation326
  • Marcus Agrippa327
  • Timber importation328
  • Foundation cobbles331
  • Exotic stone importation332
  • Conclusions333

Objects published here

1
  • Concrete block CO with cobble foundation, Area CO, southern breakwater, CO, Figures 3–5 (p. 331)

People, places and institutions

People

  • Herod the Greatcommissioned the harbour construction
  • Marcus Agrippaproposed organiser of Italian support
  • AugustusRoman ruler during construction
  • Josephussource for harbour descriptions

Places

  • Sebastos Harbourharbour whose moles are discussed
  • Caesarea Maritimalocation of Sebastos Harbour
  • Puteolisource of pozzolana
  • Seleucia Pieriaproposed timber export port
  • Antiochregional centre linked to Herod
  • Amanos Mountain regionproposed timber source region
  • Orontesriver used to transport timber
  • Carmel Ridgenearby source region contrasted with imports

Also named: Paphos, Mytilene, Dor, Sidon, Athlit, Akko.

Extent pp. 325–335, 5 figs

RomanLate AntiqueArchitectureTradeSeafaringTechnologyLandscape and Climate

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