Dr. Jacob (Koby) Sharvit

IAA Maritime Unit Director

Born in Israel, Jacob (Koby) Sharvit studied at The Fredy & Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning a Bachelor of Science in Archeology and Geography. He then went on to earn a Masters in Archaeology and Geography at the Department of Maritime Civilizations at Haifa University.

Koby began working as an underwater archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in 1990. In 2005, he became the Director of the Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU). He specializes in maritime archaeology, with a special interest in shipwrecks, harbors, ancient seaborne trade routes and economy in the Eastern Mediterranean, and deep-sea remote sensing surveys.

Over the last 30 years, Koby has participated in many land and underwater archaeological projects and surveys in Israel. Between 2000 and 2002, he was a member of the UNESCO Israeli delegation for the “convention for the protection of the underwater cultural heritage” and took part in many other UNESCO, EU, and Blue Med Economy projects including Byzantion, EastMed’s project focusing on Eastern Mediterranean Sea Research, and DiveSafe EASME. He has also participated in numerous national and international conferences, meetings, and symposia focused on underwater archaeology, management, and monitoring including TROPIS, Theracia-Pontica, ASOR, and AIA. Finally, Koby has published many scientific articles and reports and his work has been featured in museum exhibitions.

In his personal time, Koby is always near water. He’s a commercial diver fluent in closed-circuit rebreathers (CCRs) and trimix diving. He’s also a yacht/boat skipper.

Please contact us if you are interested in supporting Koby’s work.