Submerged Stone Structure Found in the Sea of Galilee
Posted on April 13, 2013
Researchers have found a submerged stone structure in the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in Israel. The finding was reported here in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. The circular structure is a conical pile of basalt boulders. The boulders are each up to 1 meter long. The researchers say the boulders would have been transported to the site from the nearest basalt outcrop, which is located a few hundred meters away. The arrow in the image is pointing at a 10 centimeter fish to give an idea of the size of the structure. Tilapia were found swimming around the boulders.
In the research reports the researchers speculate that it may have been an ancient fish nursery. Another theory is that it may have been built onshore when the water level was lower than it is today. The structure is located near some other archaeological sites, including the Ohalo I prehistoric site (500 meters away) and the mound of Bet Yerah (1.2 kilometers away).
Yitzhak Paz, of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Ben-Gurion University, told LiveScience that he believes the structure could be over 4,000 years old.
