Although a small island 2 km off the southern coast of Turkey, Dana Island offers a rich history which is likely to shed light upon the Dark Ages. Starting from 2015 our archaeological team discovered through continuing coastal and underwater excavations 274 shipsheds/slipways there. This discovery places Dana Island among the biggest shipyards of antiquity. The slipways varied in dimensions suitable for vessels of different sizes from small boats to large warships. Historical sources suggest that the name of the island may stem from Yadnana, Yadana or Adana which was mentioned in an Assyrian tablet of the 8th century BC, as an island in the vicinity of Cyprus. Archaeological evidence exists that shows Dana Island had played a significant role in seamanship activities in Levant starting from Neolithic times. A substantial part of the naval campaigns must have involved Dana Island which used be the biggest shipyard/naval base of the Eastern Mediterranean. A 3D model of the island has been made by using photogrammetry and computer graphics methods and simulations were executed to check the hypotheses related to the involvement of Dana Island in the major sea battles of antiquity, such as Sea Battle of Lade in 495 BC.
Since the Dark Ages, warships have formed the backbone of military strength in the Mediterranean. In those days, the sea power was even more important than it is today; it was the way to have military, political, and economic influence. Being strong required having warships. Their construction, storage, repair and maintenance meant a great financial commitment and tremendous economic investment. It was very important that the warships were kept “safe” and “seaworthy” at times they were not used, and that this power was “always ready” and, if necessary, available for use timely and without delay. In a short notice, or even in a sudden situation, these vessels must have been available for rapid launching from their shelters and be ready to sail as soon as they are in water. “Shipsheds” and “slipways” played a vital role in keeping precious vessels safe and close to the sea. These basic maritime structures also played a role of shelter as well as facilitating hauling from and launching into water. Another important role they played was that warships were exhibited as a deterrent force, some of them were built to impress. What is striking is that despite their importance, very few sites have entered the literature as shipsheds or slipways. Ancient “shipsheds” and “slipways” were discovered by our excavation team in Dana Island of Rough Cilicia.
The purpose of this project is to incorporate them in the historical context, starting from archaeological finds, and other material evidence. How these complexes were used in housing the fragile wooden vessels, how functional they were in quickly launching these vessels in suddenly emerging situations are some of the topics upon which we tried to shed light. In order to illuminate the role these structures played as “shipsheds” and “slipways”, we modelled the island and its structures by using photogrammetry and 3D computer graphics methods. Simulations have been carried out to verify the hypothesis of the use of this site as a naval base and shipyard starting from the Neolithic times.