Rare 1,800-year-old marble artefacts discovered in shipwreck off Israel

Rare 1,800-year-old marble artefacts have been discovered in the wreck of a merchant ship off Israel, the country’s Antiquities Authority has announced.

A sea swimmer alerted officials to the Roman-period items he found in the sea off the Beit Yanai moshav.

It is the oldest sea cargo of its kind known in the Eastern Mediterranean, the authority said.

Among the artefacts discovered are Corinthian capitals decorated with vegetal motifs and huge marble architrave measuring up to 6 metres long.

Officials said they believe the architectural items were destined for a “magnificent public building - a temple or perhaps a theatre.”

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