The Roman Concrete Harbor at Caesarea Maritima

Record summary

Caesarea Maritima’s harbor, built under Herod the Great, is a named case of large artificial maritime construction using hydraulic concrete and imported volcanic materials. It supports comparison of ancient breakwaters, underwater engineering, imperial logistics, and harbor decline under changing coastal and political conditions. The site’s submerged remains and sedimentary history complicate simple claims that it was either an engineering failure or a permanently stable port. Construction methods, concrete recipes, subsidence, storms, and later reuse require marine archaeology and geotechnical evidence.