Yaacov (Yak) Kahanov (1947‒2016), Senior Researcher at the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and Professor Emeritus at the Department of Maritime Civilizations of the University of Haifa, was a pioneer of nautical archaeology in Israel. During his academic career he directed dozens of underwater excavation seasons, excavating and studying 14 shipwrecks along the Israeli coast, mainly in Dor and Akko.
Prof. Kahanov was the principal researcher, conservator and restorer of the 5th century BCE Ma‘agan Mikhael ship. The shipwreck was discovered in 1985, and excavated in 1988 and 1989. The ship’s timbers were dismantled underwater, retrieved, and after conservation, reassembled in the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa. It is the best preserved ship of the period, and has been thoroughly studied and published under his supervision.