Rare 1,800-year-old Precious Cargo Found in Mediterranean Shipwreck

A recreational sea swimmer discovered a 1,800-year-old treasure trove of marble columns off the shore of Beit Yanai, Israel. The columns are part of 44 tons of marble blocks that appear to be from the wreck of a ship that was on its way to a Roman port. The oldest of its kind known in the Eastern Mediterranean, the cargo includes decorated Corinthian capitals, partially carved capitals, and a huge 6-meter marble architrave. The Israel Antiquities Authority will launch an undersea excavation next week to discover waterlogged wood from under the massive marble blocks or a nearby underwater sand dune that may have buried and preserved parts of the ship.