Early Harbour Structures in the Eastern Mediterranean from the Fifteenth to the Sixth centuries BCE

Abstract

This contribution explores the developments in terms of harbour facilities between the fifteenth and the sixth centuries BCE in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean basin (i.e., Egypt, the Levant, Cyprus, Anatolia, and the Aegean). In particular, it seeks to analyse how coastal communities responded to the following harbour needs: improving the protection of the basin from the meteo-maritime dynamics, offering space and device for ships to moor, facilitating hauling manoeuvres, and increasing the visibility of the harbour. For each of these needs this article will evaluate how harbour facilities evolved during the period under consideration, eventually tracing an overview of the status of harbour areas in the second and first millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean.