The Ancient Harbours Of The Piraeus

Beskrivelse

Discover the architectural and historical significance of the Piraeus harbours, the naval heart of Classical Athens. This volume reveals the extensive naval facilities that underpinned Athens' maritime dominance.

An in-depth archaeological study of Athens' naval bases and their role in the city's classical power.

This first volume in the Ancient Harbours of the Piraeus series presents the results of the Zea Harbour Project's archaeological work from 2001 to 2006. It focuses on Zea Harbour, where two previously unknown building phases were uncovered: early 5th-century BC unroofed slipways (Phase 1) and later 5th-century shipsheds (Phase 2). These findings provide the earliest solid evidence of naval installations from Athens' peak military, political, and cultural period.

Additionally, the volume reexamines shipsheds documented in the late 19th century by W. Dörpfeld and I.C. Dragátsis, dating them to 375–350 BC (Phase 3). These are identified as double-unit shipsheds designed to store two ships end-to-end. A major breakthrough includes measuring sea level changes since antiquity, offering new insights into the ancient harbours' topography.

During the 4th century BC, the naval complexes at Zea Harbour ranked among the largest construction projects of the ancient world, crucial for fleet operations. By the late 330s BC, Zea’s shipsheds alone covered over 55,000 m², and combined with Kantharos and Mounichia harbours, the total shipshed area reached nearly 110,000 m². The massive tiled roofs, supported by hundreds of colonnades and sidewalls, symbolized Athens' ambition to monumentalize and celebrate its naval power, protecting its swift triremes at the height of its influence.

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