Destruction of Herod the Great's harbor at Caesarea Maritima, Israel - Geoarchaeological evidence

Geoarchaeological analysis of ancient harbor deposits has answered question s regarding the timing and extent of the destruction of the harbor at Caesa rea Maritima built by Herod the Great on Israel's Mediterranean coast. By u sing stratigraphic, micropaleontological (foraminifera), and geochemical (S r isotopes) analyses of the ancient harbor deposits we can establish a late first to early second century A.D. date for the destruction of the harbor. This destruction occurred earlier, was more rapid and widespread than prev iously proposed, and was probably caused by seismic activity. The new excav ations also indicate that during the fourth to early sixth centuries A.D., geomorphological processes and siltation within the inner harbor allowed th is area to be used in a limited capacity as a harbor.