Artifacts from a merchant ship that sank off the ancient Mediterranean port of Caesarea 1,600 years ago are presented to the press by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Caesarea, Israel, May 16, 2016. [Photo/IC]

The IAA said the remains of a ship were "left uncovered on the sea bottom" and included iron anchors and fragments of jars used for drinking water by the crew. The haul's location and distribution suggested the "large merchant ship was carrying a cargo of metal slated (for) recycling".

"A marine assemblage such as this has not been found in Israel in the past 30 years," Jacob Sharvit and Dror Planer of the IAA's Marine Archaeology Unit said in a statement.

"Metal statues are rare archaeological finds because they were always melted down and recycled in antiquity."