Cothon

Ancient Carthaginian port, in a 1958 photograph

A cothon (Greek: κώθων, lit. 'drinking vessel') is an artificial, protected inner harbour such as that in Carthage during the Punic Wars c. 200 BC.

Cothons were generally found in the Phoenician world. Other examples include Motya in Sicily from the 6th century BC, which performed an uncertain purpose, (measuring 35 metres x 51 metres), although it has been suggested this cothon might even have been closable and drainable to form a dry dock,[1][2] Mahdia in Tunisia from the 7th century BC, (which measured 72 metres x 56 metres) and one from Kition in Cyprus.

In ancient times "cothon" was only used to describe the harbour at Carthage.[3] In modern times, however, archaeologists use the term to refer to similar ancient harbours constructed of a man-made basin connected to the sea by a channel.[4] The name comes from an island in Carthage's harbour.[5]

  1. ^ BSJ Isserlin - Antiquity, 1971
  2. ^ Franco, Leopoldo (1996). "Ancient Mediterranean harbours: A heritage to preserve". Ocean & Coastal Management. 30 (2–3): 115–151. doi:10.1016/0964-5691(95)00062-3.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference marriner17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference carayon05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Smith, William, ed. (1854). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company. p. 550. The inner harbour was reserved for the ships of war. Just within its entrance was an island called Cothon (Kώθων, whence the harbour itself was called Cothon also), ...