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Caesarea Maritima Essay

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The site of Caesarea Maritima contains many unique challenges for archaeological excavations. In spite of this, through pottery analysis, archaeologists are able to learn about different aspects of the site. Nonetheless, Caesarea Maritima has a variety of specific challenges associated with it for archaeologists. Not only does it cover a significant section of the coastal region, but the immense harbour, over time, has been completely submerged in the sea. Along with geographical challenges, there are also historical ones. The site of Caesarea Maritima was inhabited from Hellenistic time until the Crusaders, a period spanning over 900 years. As it was continuously inhabited, the archaeological layers contain the remnants of many different cultures. …show more content…

At the site of Tell el-Hesi, Petrie noticed specific styles of pottery at different stages of the dig (Petrie 1890). By a comparison of the different pottery forms with similar pieces dated from previous sites, Petrie was able to date the surrounding material through the pottery. Significantly, by studying the pottery forms, Petrie created an association between specific dates and forms of pottery (Petrie 1891) thus created a chronology which revolutionised the archaeology of the Levant. To give an illustration of the impact which Petrie’s discovery has had upon archaeology in the Levant, his chronology has been used on archaeological sites in the region throughout the past century (Cole 1984; Tushingham 1986). In Caesarea Maritima Petrie’s discovery of dating a site through the pottery has assisted with dating both the city and the harbour of Sebastos. In the harbour, the discovery of pottery was interpreted as evidence that the city was importing goods via sea trade, during the 3rd century AD (Hohlfelder 1988). While excavating Caesarea Maritima the Department of Antiquities in Israel discovered that an area they were excavating was abandoned during the Arab conquest (Yeivin 1955, p. 123). Yet, because there was evidence of pottery from the eighth and ninth centuries in addition to some lamps, it was evidence that after the site had been abandoned it was resettled. Because of the discovery of Mameluke pottery, it became apparent that the site was superceded during the Crusader period (Yeivin 1955, p. 123). Petrie’s discovery of the association between pottery and dating, therefore, has assisted in the archaeology of Caesarea

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