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Exploring the Harbors of Old Knidos

Getting acquainted with harbor archaeology

(guest post by Itay Avitzur)

The second week of excavation has been an extremely productive one in Harbor 1. After the first week’s acclimation to the routine of early rising, assembling, running and trouble-shooting equipment, work has truly begun.

For me these early days have been especially interesting. Having only limited experience with land archaeology through a field school run by the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, I was surprised by how many of the same tools and techniques used in terrestrial archaeology are transferred to shallow harbours. Shovels, hand picks, trowels, pickaxes, and buckets all see use. The addition of the dredge to remove small rocks and dirt is a luxury lacking on land. But learning to excavate in shallow water while maneuvering a trowel and dredge, and staying warm for ninety minutes has been quite a challenge. I never thought I’d be cold on an archaeological project in the Mediterranean!