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The Dor C shipwreck, Israel: metallurgical analysis and its contribution to the ship characterization

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Abstract

The Dor C shipwreck is the remains of a 60-t schooner that plied the Mediterranean during the last decades of the nineteenth century. The various building materials and ceramic ware found inside the shipwreck suggest an established commercial route between southern France and the Holy Land. Three metal objects were found in the bow area of the shipwreck: a lead pipe, an iron rigging hoop, and a brass wick housing. This study aims to understand their manufacturing processes, to propose possible dating and manufacturing locations, and to verify their use. The metallurgical investigation suggests that the objects were designated for marine use and manufactured using processes developed during the second half of the nineteenth century, probably post-1885, which supports the dating of the ship. The tonnage of the ship, the origin of her cargo, the provenance of some of the metal parts, and the location of the shipwreck, all suggest that her last voyage was a delivery of cargo from Marseilles to Dor.

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Acknowledgments

The underwater excavation and research of the Dor C shipwreck was supported by the Hecht Foundation and anonymous donors, to whom the authors are grateful. The authors would like to thank A. Gienko and I. Rosenthal, Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Y. Shoef, Gabi Shoef Ltd, for their radiographic (RT) assistance; E. Tuval and his group from the IDF laboratories for their technical assistance; Z. Barkai, Wolfson Applied Materials Research Centre, Tel Aviv University, and H. Kravitz, Microtech Advanced Metallographic Supplies (Israel), for their valuable assistance; and J. B. Tresman for the English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel

    D. Ashkenazi

  2. Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel

    D. Cvikel, M. Holtzman & Y. Kahanov

  3. Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel

    D. Bershadski & A. Stern

  4. Institut für Geowissenschaften, J. W. Goethe Universität, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    S. Klein

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  1. D. Ashkenazi
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  2. D. Cvikel
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  6. S. Klein
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  7. Y. Kahanov
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Correspondence to D. Ashkenazi.

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Ashkenazi, D., Cvikel, D., Holtzman, M. et al. The Dor C shipwreck, Israel: metallurgical analysis and its contribution to the ship characterization. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 9, 431–445 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-015-0296-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-015-0296-6

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