© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University

ClassificationsAncient Near Eastern Art

Sestertius of Severus Alexander

Place CreatedRome, Italy, Europe

Place ExcavatedCaesarea, Israel, Asia

CultureRoman

PeriodRoman Period, Reign of Alexander Severus

Date222-235 CE

MediumCopper alloy

Credit LineLink Marine Expedition, 1960

Dimensions1 1/16 in., 0.8 oz (3.1 cm, 22.7 g)

Object number1960.055

Label TextObverse: IMP CAES M AVR SEV ALEXANDER AVG, with laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander to right

Reverse: P M TR P VII COS II P P S C, with Mars, helmeted, standing left, holding olive-branch in right hand and spear in left hand

Strategically located on the Syro-Palestinian coast, Caesarea (in modern day Israel) has a history of active trade since 3000 B.C. In 10 B.C., Herod the Great built a new harbor-city on this site in honor of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus who gave his name to this city. As the capital of Roman Palestine, Caesarea rivaled Jerusalem in importance and splendor. Due to changes in the water level of the Mediterranean Sea, structures of the ancient harbor had been covered by water for centuries. The objects on display were recovered from the submerged harbor and surrounding waters during the Link expedition to Caesarea and the Sea of Galilee of 1960. During this expedition, Emory Professor Immanuel Ben Dor and Atlanta Artist George Beattie accompanied Edwin A. Link, a brilliant inventor, who designed innovative underwater exploration vessels. His ship, the Sea Diver II, was equipped with metal detectors, electronic probes, and an underwater capsule, enabling prolonged diving periods at a depth of up to 400 feet.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, July 1997 - Spring 2001

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