The vessel, which sank in the first or second century C.E., is around 40 feet long and was seemingly used to transport olives.
R. Scholz/International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in ZadarDivers examining the 2,000-year-old ship found in Croatia.
It all started with a plank of wood and an iron nail. After finding these artifacts four years ago, archaeologists in Sukošan, Croatia, began to search the floor of Barbir Bay for more. Thrillingly, their initial clue led to the submerged wreck of a Roman ship, which seemingly went down some 2,000 years ago.
Both the ship’s cargo and its composition tell an incredible story about the Roman-era vessel, and archaeologists are thrilled with this “rare find.”
The Roman-Era Shipwreck In Croatia
R. Scholz/International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in ZadarThe Roman shipwreck as seen from above.
According to the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (ICUA Zadar), the shipwreck is located near Sukošan, Croatia, on the floor of Barbir Bay. Mladen Pešić, the director of ICUA Zadar, told Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) that it was first detected four years ago after archaeologists stumbled upon a lucky find: a 2,000-year-old plank of wood.
“We came across a piece of wood with an iron nail, which reminded us that there could be a more interesting find at that location,” Pešić explained. “The following year, we started exploring a wider area and discovered that it was a Roman shipwreck. We have been researching for four and a half years, and this is the last year when we discovered the entire ship.”
Over two weeks of field work this year, the archaeologists determined that the ship was 2,000 years old (from the first or second century C.E.) and roughly 40 feet long. Researchers studied hundreds of wood samples from the wreck and determined that three different kinds of wood were used during the ship’s construction, seemingly to serve different purposes.
“We have three different types of wood in different parts. Each type has its own purpose,” archaeologist Alba Ferreira Dominguez told HRT, adding: “Through the analysis, I want to understand why shipbuilders used a certain type of wood for a certain part of the ship.”
M. Kaleb/International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in ZadarAn underwater archaeologist examining part of the ship, which is remarkably well-preserved.
Indeed, archaeologists have much to learn from the wreck. But they have a few guesses about what kind of ship it once was, what it was carrying, and how it sank 2,000 years ago in Croatia’s Barbir Bay.
The Ship’s Final Journey 2,000 Years Ago
Many questions about the Roman shipwreck found in Croatia remain. But archaeologists have uncovered a number of clues within the wreck that hint at what happened during its final journey.
For starters, the ship’s construction suggests that it was a cargo vessel, tasked with ferrying goods from place to place.
A. Divić/International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in ZadarAn underwater archaeologist examining what remains of the ship, which went down 2,000 years ago.
“This is a very precise and stable construction of ships that could carry heavy loads, sail medium to long distances, and were essential for the life of people on our coast and islands two thousand years ago,” Anton Divić, the owner of a Croatian company for research in underwater archaeology, told HRT.
What’s more, underwater archaeologists have a good idea of what the ship was carrying. During their research, they found hundreds of olive pits amidst the wreckage. Grape pits, peach pits, and walnut shells were also found in abundance in the harbor, which suggests that the ship was carrying agricultural products when it sank.
As for how the ship sank? It’s difficult to say 2,000 years after the event, but archaeologists suspect that it was overwhelmed by a storm.
Because it would be too expensive to dredge the vessel up from the depths, archaeologists have instead taken hundreds of overlapping photographs of the wreck to create a model of it. Once their research is complete, they’ll cover the ship with geotextile and sand, laying it to rest some 2,000 years ago after it first sank in the bay.
After reading about the 2,000-year-old Roman-era shipwreck found in Croatia, discover the stories of some of history’s most famous shipwrecks and the harrowing stories behind them. Or, go back in time with this collection of some of the world’s most incredible ancient ruins.
