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Anastasius I, Mud, and Foraminifera: Conflicting Views of Caesarea Maritima's Harbor in Late Antiquity

The continuing underwater excavations in the outer harbor of Caesarea Maritima have produced masses of data that relate to the life and times of the major maritime installation of King Herod's city on the sea. The material published thus far is open to a variety of interpretations by archaeologists and scholars who are attempting to understand the long history of this important eastern Mediterranean port. The fate of Sebastos or Portus Augusti (as the enclosed harbor was called at different historical moments) in Late Antiquity is a particularly controversial issue. After examining relevant evidence now available, this paper contends that following the degradation of its physical facilities in the fifth century C. E., the harbor (limen) was restored to working order by Anastasius I probably in the early years of the sixth century. It functioned in some rudimentary manner through the seventh century and perhaps even beyond. Ultimately, nature and dereliction took their toll. The two breakwaters that had formed this artificial basin were not repaired sufficiently or routinely to insure the continuance of normal operation. Without the requisite maintenance, they finally slipped beneath the sea sometime during the Arab occupation of the city.