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Scientists at the University of Haifa in Israel have studied the shipwreck of the Margan Michael B.
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The corpse of a dead rat on board gave researchers a clue as to where the ship came from.
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The ship’s sculpture also shows who may have been on board more than 1400 years ago.
According to researchers at the University of Haifa, the rat skeleton found in the ancient wreckage of a cargo ship sunk from the Israeli coast offers valuable new historical insights.
The skeleton of a rat that died on a ship labeled Ma’gan Mikhael B from 648 to 740 AD helped the team learn about the life of a ship that once sailed the Mediterranean Sea.
Sierra Harding, an animal archaeologist who talks to insiders About the projectSaid the ruins are the oldest and only direct evidence of the black rat epidemic on ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.
She explained that some of the bodies belong to the black rat, a species that traveled with traders from South Asia and India to the Middle East over 2000 years ago.
However, using tooth morphology, they found that other rats were “exotic in that area.” Preliminary findings indicate that they may have originated from Tunisia or Corsica in the Central Mediterranean.
“If it is confirmed that some of these mice are actually far from the islands of the Central Mediterranean, this really means a battle between the Army and the Navy during this period,” he said. ..
Clue to the diverse crew of the ship
The impressive array of preserved relics found on the sunken ship helped fill the painting of life on an ancient merchant ship.
A Breaking news for 2020 A team at the University of Haifa discovered “the largest marine cargo collection of Byzantine and early Islamic pottery ever found along the Israeli coast.” It was revealed that the 82-foot-long ship was loaded with sauces made from Turkish walnuts and fish from the Sea of Galilee.
The study also addressed the diverse crew of the ship, including Christian crosses, Muslim blessings (for example, the word “Bismira” meaning the name of God), and Greek and Arabic letters engraved on the walls. Harding told insiders that he was providing clues.
No human remains were found on the shipwreck, indicating that the crew landed when the ship ran aside a short distance from the coast.
When the ship sank from the Israeli coast, it was quickly covered with up to 7 feet of sand, helping to keep its secret, Harding said.
The study is led by a team of international researchers including Harding, Dr. Ardan Hume Beeman of the University of Liverpool, Dr. Nimrod Malom of the University of Haifa, and Professor Deborah Chibikel of the University of Haifa. About research.
Read the original article Business Insider