Asherah (submarine)
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Asherah |
| Namesake | Asherah |
| Ordered | 1963 |
| Builder | General Dynamics, Groton, Connecticut |
| Launched | 1964 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submersible |
| Test depth | 600 feet (180 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
Asherah was the first commercially built American research submersible, owned by the University of Pennsylvania and used by archaeologist George F. Bass to examine underwater sites.[1][2] It was named after Asherah, an ancient Semitic goddess known as "she who treads on the sea".[3]
The two-man submarine was built by General Dynamics, Groton, Connecticut, United States, and could dive to a depth of 600 feet (180 m). Commissioned in 1963 and launched in 1964, it was used to develop a new system of stereoscopy, and allowed Bass to become the first to use side-scanning sonar to locate a shipwreck.[4]
In 1967, under Bass' direction, Asherah was used to photograph an ancient Byzantine shipwreck at a depth of 285 feet near Yassi Ada island, off the coast of Turkey.[5]
References
- ^ "George F. Bass". Institute of Nautical Archaeology. 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ Bass, George F. (2012). "Archaeology Under Water". Institute of Nautical Archaeology. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ In Ugarit is mentioned: ʼaṯrt ym, rabat ʼAṯirat yammi, 'Lady Athirat of the Sea'.
- ^ Keiger, Dale (April 1997). "The Underwater World of George Bass". Johns Hopkins Magazine. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ "Expedition Magazine - Penn Museum".