Dendroarchaeology of shipwrecks and ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Dendroarchaeology of sunken shipwrecks is at its infancy mainly because of lack of standardized sampling procedures and preservation methods. Early on, samples from shipwrecks were very few and did not represent the variety of tree species of which the vessel was constructed. Moreover, wood samples taken from shipwrecks were either dried or kept in distilled water, which resulted in total decomposition of the wood structure. However, in the last fifteen years proper sampling and preservation of the wood in seawater until its analysis in the laboratory have been developed in Israel. This has enabled species level identification of the wooden parts of the excavated shipwrecks and ships. Results of dendroarchaeology of shipwrecks and ships from the eastern Mediterranean, both from Israel and Turkey, and location of their possible construction sites are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]