Rare 1,800-year-old Shipwreck Uncovered with Precious Marble Cargo.

A 1,800-year-old shipwreck carrying approximately 44 tons of Roman-period marble architectural pieces has been discovered in shallow waters off the coast of Israel. The cargo is the oldest of its kind yet discovered in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and may have been intended for a public building. The ship was probably destined for a port along the coast of the southern Levant but ran into trouble en route, likely due to a storm. The discovery sheds light on the use of marble in construction during this period and the IAA plans to conduct further investigations of the site in the coming weeks.