© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University

ClassificationsAncient Near Eastern Art

Storage Jar

AAT Object Form/Functionstorage jars

AAT Object Techniqueunderwater archaeology

Place ExcavatedCaesarea, Israel, Asia

PeriodAchaemenid Dynasty

Date539-331 BCE

MediumCeramic

Credit LineLink Marine Expedition, 1960

Dimensions19 3/8 x 10 3/16 in. (49.2 x 25.8 cm)

Object number1960.032

Label TextStrategically 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 HistoryA Preview of the Collections, Schatten Gallery, February 15 - April 4, 1982
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11, 1993 - August 1995
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2001 - 2013
The Carlos as Catalyst: The Transformation of the Museum at Emory, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University, January 18 - May 31, 2019
Published ReferencesEmory University Museum of Art and Archaeology: A Preview of the Collections (Atlanta: The Museum, 1982), 8.

ProvenanceExcavated by Link Marine Expedition, Israel, 1960.

Status

Not on view

Collections