Bioarchaeology of ancient Adriatic ships: The Pula shipwrecks (Croatia)

Abstract

Bioarchaeological analyses of protective coatings and waterproofing materials used in the construction or restoration of ships have helped to enhance our understanding of their geographical origins by identifying the pollen-derived assemblages preserved during their building or restoration. We selected two Roman sewn ships (Pula 1 and 2), two artefacts (a brush and a fragment of fibrous mass) and three plank fragments with “mortise and tenon” joints not belonging to the sewn boats to extract bioindicators from pitch, a substance traditionally used in Mediterranean shipbuilding to waterproof the seams and hull and protect the wood of the vessels. The remains were unearthed during the archaeological excavations of the ancient silted harbour of the Roman colony of Pula in 2013. The wrecks attest to ancient regional traditions in shipbuilding specific to the North-Eastern Adriatic area. Using pollen-derived vegetation patterns and statistical analyses, we suggest that the recorded vegetation mainly corresponds to the past and present Eastern Adriatic landscapes, where pitch could have been produced or applied. The landscapes identified correspond to the area where the wrecks were discovered. Pollen also elucidate the application of the pitch, separating phases of construction from stages of ships repair. Pollen, as well as statistical analyses, are powerful tools for naval archaeology, providing geographical insights into the history of wrecks as well as an assessment of construction or restoration phases.