Tantura Lagoon Wrecks, Israel
Number of shipwrecks - 7
Dates of shipwrecks - 4th - 10th centuries AD, 18th century AD
Excavation - 1994 - 1996
Historical context - ancient harbor of Tel Dor
Dor first mentioned - Ramesses II
"The flash came from above as I examined the planking of a newly discovered hull. My first thought was, who in the world is using our flash unit to take underwater photographs? Then I remembered that I had taken the unit to Tel Aviv for repair. By the time I saw the second flash, I was looking straight up and realized that I was witnessing lightning strikes as viewed from underwater. Moments later I was rushing the team out of the lagoon..."
- Shelley Wachsmann
Source
Wachsmann, Shelley. "The Graveyard of Ships: Tantura Lagoon, Israel," in "Beneath the Seven Seas," edited by George F. Bass, pp. 98-99. New York and London, 2005.
Members of the 1995 expedition record loose timbers and other organic remains in Trench VII. (slide# L067) Photo: S. Wachsmann.