Caesarea Beneath the Sea

Of all the great seaports of antiquity, Caesarea Maritima is the only one readily accessible to underwater archaeologists.¹ Many ancient ports, like Piraeus, the port of Athens, cannot be carefully examined because they are still in use. Other harbors of antiquity have silted in over the centuries and today serve a variety of purposes that preclude archaeological investigation. Such has been the fate of Ostia, the ancient port of Rome, where modern Rome’s airport now sits.

But Caesarea Maritima lies partially submerged along a section of Mediterranean coast that has seen no significant development or use for the past seven centuries. For at least the next few years archaeologists can pursue their quest for the submerged port of Caesarea.