El Hamdania Shipwreck – Cherchell, Algeria

El Hamdania Beach is located approximately 8 km east of the city of Cherchell, in Tipaza Province. It forms an open bay extending over nearly 2 km, a configuration that makes navigation within the bay difficult and, under adverse weather conditions and rough seas, potentially impossible even in modern times.

From an archaeological perspective, the El Hamdania Beach area is considered a site of strategic importance. To the west, it is bordered by the White Rock site, which includes a group of submerged cannons as well as numerous archaeological indicators along the coastline. These consist of remains of an ancient wall and dispersed archaeological pottery found in the vicinity of the White Rock site (Rafik Khellaf and al., 2020, pp. 40–45).
To the east, the bay is bordered by the archaeological site known as the “Three Islands,” named after the nearby islets (Ryma Dali Chaouech, 2015, p. 22). This site contains several archaeological features, including an early church and a fountain (Youcef Bensaidani, 2014, pp. 45–47), as well as the remains of a bath complex and fish-salting basins. The Three Islands site has been classified as a national heritage site since 4 September 1985 (National Agency for Antiquities and the Protection of Historical Monuments and Sites, 1992, p. 144).

Following the acquisition of preliminary information provided by a diver indicating the presence of a shipwreck off the coast of El Hamdania, a coastal survey was undertaken to locate the vessel and assess the reliability of the reported data. This operation was conducted within the framework of the scientific research activities of the research team “Coastal and Maritim Archaeology”, affiliated with the Laboratory of Historical and Archaeological Studies (LEHA).

The surface survey focused on the eastern sector of El Hamdania Beach, extending from the Great Islet to the entrance of the archaeological site of the Three Islands, using a corridor (transect) survey methodology.

After approximately one hour of investigation, a submerged archaeological context was identified, characterized by the presence of a large concentration of polished stone blocks. Upon reaching the area where these stones were observed, at depths ranging between 1.5 m and 3 m, the surrounding area was systematically explored, with particular attention paid to the spaces beneath the stones. In this context, structural remains of a submerged archaeological vessel were identified, including both the forward section located closer to the shoreline and the aft section.

This discovery represents an unprecedented find in the field of underwater archaeology in Algeria.

Regarding the polished stones transported by the vessel, their morphological characteristics suggest that they date to the ancient period. More than thirty blocks were recorded, varying in type and dimensions, including square, hollowed, and rectangular forms. The rectangular blocks were measured and found to reach up to 2.70 m in length and approximately 0.75 m in width. These stones were arranged in a stacked configuration, one above the other, which strongly supports the hypothesis that they were deliberately loaded into the ship’s hull for transport—either to an unknown destination or toward the archaeological site of the Three Islands.

Nevertheless, questions remain concerning the origin and intended function of these stone blocks. These issues will be addressed through further analyses, including the identification of the quarry from which they were extracted, particularly given the absence of any known quarry in the immediate vicinity of the wreck site.

The total area over which the ship’s cargo is distributed measures approximately 18 m in length and 9 m in width, suggesting that the submerged vessel was of considerable size.

Furthermore, through field inspection, a wheel pulley was identified, which we retrieved for preservation and for the purpose of deriving information from it.

Figures

**Figure 1.** Map of El Hamdania Bay illustrating the archaeological site and the location of the shipwreck remains. *Credit: Rafik Khellaf*

**Figure 2.** Discovery and Examination of the shipwreck Site and Its Cargo. *Credit: Benaouda Nadjib*

**Figure 3.** Picture Showing the Remains of Wooden Parts of the Ship. *Credit: Benaouda Nadjib*

**Figure 4.** The Arrangement of the Polished Stones. *Credit: Youcef Bensaidani*

**Figure 5.** Pulley found under the shipwreck. *Credit: Benaouda Nadjib*

References

National Agency for Antiquities and the Protection of Historical Monuments and Sites (1992). Texts and Legislative Systems in Archaeology and the Protection of Museums, Sites, and Historical Monuments, p. 144.
Rafik Khellaf et al. (2020). “Résultats préliminaires des prospections archéologiques effectuées dans le futur site du port de Cherchell, El Hamdania.” Revue du Centre National de Recherche en Archéologie, no. 2, pp. 40–45.
Rafik Khellaf (2023). “Risks and destruction of coastal archaeological sites in Algeria: the case of the coast of El Hamdania.” Libyan Studies, vol. 54, Cambridge University Press, pp. 187–194.
Ryma Dali Chaouech (2015). Management of Archaeological Finds from the Three Islands Site, Hamdania – Cherchell. Master’s thesis, National Institute of Archaeology, p. 22.
Youcef Bensaidani (2014). Methods for the Rehabilitation and Restoration of Archaeological Sites: The Northern Area of the Three Islands Site in Cherchell as a Case Study, pp. 45–47.