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© Institute of Nautical Archaeology

A ROYAL SHIPWRECK. As demonstrated with the ship of Cheops, cedar was not just maritime cargo but also frequently the building material of the ships themselves. In the ancient shipwreck off the Uluburun promontory of Turkey, nearly all of the boards of the hull were Cedrus libani. This famous late-14th-century B.C.E. wreck contained a cargo of precious metals, jewelry, ivory, ebony and other valuable materials, suggesting that it was probably a royal shipment. Among the finds were a gold-clad bronze female figurine measuring about 6.5 inches tall.