The Akko 2 shipwreck, Akko harbour, Israel

The Akko 2 shipwreck was discovered in 2006, in the harbour of the ancient city of Akko, in northern Israel. It was found under 3 m of water, buried under 1 m of sand, small shells and rubble. It was excavated over three seasons, from 2006 to 2008, by the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa. The remains of the hull were uncovered and recorded underwater, and a few timbers were retrieved and studied on land. The shipwreck is dated by ¹⁴C of the wood to the 16^th-17^th centuries AD. According to historical records, Akko harbour was partially active in the first half of the local Ottoman period. As it was small and shallow with obstacles, but still an important commercial port, the use of lighters, as is evident also in illustrations, was essential. The Akko 2 vessel was apparently one of these lighters. It was about 14.5 m long with a beam of 4 m and a shallow draught of between 1.5 and 1.75 m, carrying a lateen sail.