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CategoriesAncient ports
Harbours, quays and anchorages that moved cargo before the coastline shifted.
🇮🇱 Israel · Tell
Iron Age I (1200–1000 BCE) · Philistine
Tell Qasile — Philistine Port in Yarkon River, Israel is a Iron Age I (1200–1000 BCE) tell attributed to Philistine.
🇬🇷 Greece · Ancient city
Archaic to Roman (598 BCE–853 CE) · Syracusan Greek
Kamarina — Sicilian Colony in Sicily, Greece is a Archaic to Roman (598 BCE–853 CE) ancient-city attributed to Syracusan Greek.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Ancient city
Chalcolithic → Iron Age 500 BCE–300 CE · Iron Age Gangetic (NBPW)
Wari-Bateshwar — twin-village Early Historic port-city (Chalcolithic levels, Iron Age 500 BCE–300 CE) 70 km NE Dhaka, discovered 1933 Hanif Pathan, excavated 2000–10 Rahman.
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Neolithic to Iron (6000–1180 BCE) · Canaanite/Phoenician
Tell Sukas — Shuksi Port in Latakia Governorate, coast, Syria is a Neolithic to Iron (6000–1180 BCE) tell attributed to Canaanite/Phoenician culture.
🇨🇾 Cyprus · Ancient port
Late Bronze (1600–1150 BCE Alashiya harbour sibling to Enkomi) · Cypriot Alasia harbour town secondary
Hala Sultan Tekke Åström 1970s Dromolaxia harbour late Bronze 1600.
🇮🇳 India · Hydraulic works
Harappan (2600–1900 BCE mature; dock 2400 BCE) · Indus / Harappan (Lothal)
Ahmedabad Lothal excavated by Rao 1954–63, dock at 2400 BCE, bead factory and Persian Gulf seal.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient port
Classic · Maya/Andean
Isla Cerritos — offshore port island with dike.
🇪🇷 Eritrea · Ancient city
Axumite (1st c BCE – 7th c CE; Adulis port 1st c CE Periplus) · Axumite / South Arabian / Greco-Roman trade
Axumite Mediterranean port in Zula Bay where Paribeni and Sundström found Axumite church (5th c), Roman wine amphorae and glass, linking Axum to Roman trade; Periplus harbour descr...
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Classical to Late Antique (500 BCE – 600 CE) · Spartan / Roman
Sparta's naval harbour — Roman quays and 70 m concrete mole now at −4 m off Gytheio and Marathonisi, mapped by Flemming 1968–71.
🇺🇦 Ukraine · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (600 BCE – 370 CE) · Milesian Greek / Bosporan Kingdom
Southern slope harbour of Bosporan capital Pantikapaion at Kerch Bay — 180 m mole at –3 m and ship-shed ramp.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Submerged site
Archaic to Byzantine (1070 BCE – 1402 CE) · Carian / Greek / Persian satrapal / Roman / Byzantine / Hospitaller
Herodotus birthplace — Mausolus capital with two moles now −4 m under Bodrum Marina, traced by multibeam bathymetry.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Roman to Byzantine (130 – 650 CE) · Roman Egyptian / Greco-Roman
Southern necropolis and canal harbour of Antinoopolis 1–3 m buried south of Hadrianic grid — 500 m limestone avenue at –1.5 m and canal quay 80 m.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Submerged site
Hellenistic to Ottoman (300 BCE – 1923 CE) · Persian / Ionian Greek / Pontic / Roman / Genoese
Persian princess city 300 BCE — double bays Büyük and Küçük Liman divided by islet with 90 m mole at −2 m.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Old Kingdom to Byzantine (2700 BCE – 700 CE) · Pharaonic / Roman Egyptian
Southern terrace Nile harbour of Akoris at Tihna — 50 m quay revetment and tomb forecourt quay.
🇷🇺 Russia · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (580 BCE – 300 CE) · Milesian Greek / Bosporan / Sarmatian
Eastern necropolis terrace of Kepoi in Taman Gulf east — 90 cist graves at –2 m and 60 m wall.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Buried city
Classical to Byzantine (400 BCE – 800 CE) · Lycian / Greek / Roman / Jewish / Christian
Myra's sea-gate where St Paul changed ships — Hadrian Plakoma granary beside 350 m basin now 2.5 km inland from delta silt.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Ptolemaic to Late Roman (305 BCE – 400 CE) · Egyptian / Greek / Ptolemaic / Roman
Fayum island harbour — Soknopaios crocodile temple dromos 400 m to lake harbour 200x100 m now 2 km from receded Birket Qarun.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Buried city
Archaic to Late Antique (10th c. BCE – 15th c. CE) · Carian / Lycian / Greek / Roman / Byzantine
Carian border port now 8 km inland — 10th c. BCE harbour silted by Dalyan delta and Iztuzu spit after 200 BCE, with intact mooring rings and theatre.
🇺🇦 Ukraine · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (6th c. BCE – 300 CE) · Milesian / Bosporan Greek
Entire Greek city Akra 3–4 m under Kerch Strait off Naberezhne — harbour mole 120 m at –3 m and street grid 200×150 m at –3.5 m.
🇪🇸 Spain · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Roman (575 BCE – 500 CE) · Phocaean Greek / Indiketan / Roman
Phocaean double harbour – Greek quay at –0.5 m off Neapolis and silted Riells basin, L'Escala.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Ptolemaic to Late Roman (275 BCE – 250 CE) · Ptolemaic / Roman Egyptian
Northern mangrove roadstead of Myos Hormos at Marsa Nakari — timber jetty stumps at –1.5 m behind mangroves.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Ptolemaic to Late Roman (275 BCE – 550 CE) · Ptolemaic / Roman Egyptian
Southern Foul Bay lagoon of Berenike behind Ras Benas — gypsum quay at –1.5 m and elephant ramp.
🇷🇺 Russia · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (580 BCE – 300 CE) · Milesian / Bosporan
Southern spit harbour of Porthmion on Chushka South — 55 m piled quay at –1.8 m and guard mole.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Predynastic to Late Antique (4000 BCE – 400 CE) · Egyptian Predynastic / Early Dynastic / Saite / Ptolemaic
Wadjet cobra city — Early Dynastic palace 3400 BCE and Sebennytic harbour 500x200 m now sebkha at +2 m.