This shipwreck puts a new spin on how historians think about the earliest century of Islam. The usual story is that the decades after Muhammad’s death witnessed a real collapse of trade in the former Roman Empire we now call Byzantium. But this wreck, called the Ma’agan Michael B (or MMB) ship, suggests that eastern Mediterranean trade was continuing.
In 2016, a team of Israeli researchers found the MMB, and released their preliminary findings in a paper in March of 2020. In it, they discuss this 80+ foot long merchant vessel, which probably crewed eight sailors. No bodies were discovered, but the ship held about 200 Ancient amphorae (see second slide), containing goods such as olives, figs, dates, walnuts, and a Roman fish sauce called garum. Freshwater mollusks and caged wild birds had also been part of the cargo. These goods came from places such as Egypt, Turkey, and Cyprus.
All these products, and the diversity of regions they represent, show that despite the Muslim invasions of the seventh century, commerce was continuing. The MMB dates between 648-740 CE, but Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire) almost collapsed during that time: the capital city of Constantinople was actually besieged for a full year between 717-718. During the decades around that time, written documents, building projects, infrastructure, and circulating currency mostly vanish from the historical records.
So the fact that this boat shows continuity is a big deal. Also fascinating are the dozens of inscriptions on the amphorae and ship in both Greek and Arabic. There were Christian crosses and Muslim invocations to “the name of God”. So, these sailors were from differing religious backgrounds but were working together. Indeed, at this time Christians from the areas of modern Egypt and Syria were at loggerheads with those from other parts of Byzantium due to theological differences. Perhaps they were happier working with the Muslim invadors instead of their fellow Christians who had been calling them heretics?
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