The Harbour at Ptolemais: Hellenistic City of the Libyan Pentapolis

Abstract

This article describes fieldwork undertaken in 1972 at the harbour of the Hellenistic city of Ptolemais at Tolmeita in Cyrenaica, Libya. This survey has shown that the city possessed a sophisticated Hellenistic harbour installation, now submerged by some 2 m. It consisted of a small fishing harbour and a larger commercial harbour protected by extensive stone breakwaters built around two offshore islands. Between the harbours, remains were found under water of an extensive block-built quay connected to one island, where there was a system of submerged rock-cut tanks. These are interpreted as the foundations of a fish-processing factory. Changes in sea-level are also discussed.