Ancient Wrecks Research Articles

THE SHIP WRECK OF THE LATE 4th / EARLY 3rd CENTURY BC NEAR KINBURN SPIT

During the campaign of 2018 the international underwater archaeological expedition has explored the waters of Tendra Spit and Kinburn Spit on the shelf of the Black Sea, in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions of Ukraine. Underwater archaeological exploration focused on the waters near the northern tip of Tendra Spit, from both the Gulf of Tendra and the sea, and north-western tip of Kinburn Spit. In addition to the visual reconnaissance, divers were using sonar, profiler and side-scan sonar. As a result, the bathymetric map has been compiled. In the initial part of research the work was limited to mapping and taking photographs of the discoveries. During these works was discovered and cleansed the ancient Shipwreck of the late 4th — early 3rd century BC. It was possible to identify the well-preserved fragment of the hull of ancient Wreck of a length of 9.45 m in situ with ballast stones, ceramic material from the cargo, lead plating and him constructions elements. After clearing of the sand from the preserved part of the ship hull with the help of a hydro injector the video and photo documentation was carried out. As a result of these works, large-scale photo mosaic of the object and its 3D-model were made. The condition of the wooden hull is excellent, the technological holes, connections, bronze and iron nails are preserved.
 Outside of Ukraine several shipwrecks of the same period are attested. The best studied are the following: shipwreck of the 3rd century BC at Grand Congloue, France; the Mazotos shipwreck of the 4th century BC in Cyprus; the Porticello shipwreck of the end of the 5th or beginning of the 4th century BC in Italy; the Alonnisos shipwreck from the end of the 5th century BC, Greece; the Kyrenia shipwreck from the end of the 4th — beginning of the 3rd centuries BC in Cyprus. In the Black Sea, in 2011 a shipwreck from the end of the 4th — beginning of the 3rd centuries BC near Eregli, Turkey (ancient Herakleia Pontica) was discovered by a deep-sea expedition of the research vessel «Nautilus» under the direction of Michael Brennan at a depth of 101 m. Most of the known merchant ships of this period were small, ranging from 12 to 17 m (table). Boris Peters provides a reconstruction sketch of the Lake Donuzlav ship of the late 4th — early 3rd centuries BC. It is almost identical to the reconstruction of the Kyrenia merchant ship, based on its hull which was preserved by 75 %, The replica named «Kyrenia 2» was built and made several voyages. It can be assumed that the Kinburn Spit ship found in 2018 was of similar appearance but further research will provide more detailed information.

"Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" - archeologia jako element strategii artystycznej Damiena Hirsta

The most important element of Damien Hirst's multimedia project "Treasures from the Wreck of Unbelivable" was the exhibition, presented from April 9 to December 3, 2017 in Venice, in the galleries of the Pinault Foundation in Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi. It was completed by several book publications and a 90-minute film of the same title, made available globally on the Netflix online platform on January 1, 2018. The exhibition included over a hundred objects, mainly sculptures, made in various techniques and materials in a wide range of sizes. The film, stylized as a popular science documentary, presents the fictional story of their discovery and exploration at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, and their transport to Venice. It develops the main idea of the exhibition – a fictitious vision of the origin of these objects from an ancient wreck, filled with artistic collections, belonging to a fabulously rich ancient Roman freedman, with the significant name Cif Amotan II (anagram from “I am a fiction”). Realizing this fancy artistic vision, most of the works were made as if they had been damaged by the sea waves and overgrown with corals and other marine organisms. Hirst created a comprehensive and all-encompassing narrative using the principle of "voluntary suspension of unbelief," formulated by Samuel T. Coleridge. The artist sets himself and the viewer on a fantastic journey into the ancient past, taking up subjects central to his ouevre for decades: faith, relations of art and science, transience and death. He does this by means of numerous references to the artistic and mythological heritage of antiquity, not only Graeco-Roman, but also of other great cultures and civilizations.
 Although the formal and technical aspects of the project will also be discussed, the main goal of the author is to analyze how Hirst used the knowledge of antiquity (classics) to create both the exhibition itself and the mockumentary. The artist made archeology an element binding his narrative together, showing in the film not only how artefacts were obtained from the bottom of the ocean. He also presented a number of tasks that scientists deal with at various stages of the project – from the first discovery, through interpretation and conservation, to the presenting at the museum-like exhibition. Of course, his purpose was not to create a study in the methodology of underwater exploration, but to reflect on the cognitive power of science examining remains of ancient times. By juxtaposing two possible attitudes towards relics of the past, i.e. the strict discipline of the scholar and the imagination of the treasure hunter, he concludes that narratives arising from them will both have the character of a mythical tale. The ontic status of the artefacts themselves, as the things of the past, left in a fragmentary state by the passage of time, sets all the stories related to them within the discourse of faith.

Deep-water shipwrecks in the East Mediterranean: a microcosm of Late Roman exchange

Deep-water shipwrecks provide an opportunity to investigate ships away from the destructive dynamics of coastlines and approaches to harbors where most ancient wrecks to date have been found. Such exploration expands the potential for finding wrecks of periods for which relatively few are known. One such period is the 6th and 7th c. in the E Mediterranean. Studies of cargo assemblages from the few known wrecks of the later Roman period reveal a partial picture of interlinked and overlapping trade networks that incorporated major and minor ports in the adjacent provinces.1 Various trading modes may be discerned, including cabotage, short-haul trade, inter-regional commerce, and private long-haul trade. Largely missing thus far are the wrecks of ships that participated in the annona transport, the “backbone of Late Roman shipping”.2 Each year, an enormous fleet of private ships under state contract hauled thousands of shiploads of Egyptian grain from Alexandria to Constantinople for public distribution,3 but no shipwrecks explicitly associated with these fleets have been found. Also largely invisible are the non-commercial transports associated with the annona militaris, the fiscal supply of foodstuffs destined for armies stationed on the empire‘s borders. The state supply-system became more formalized in 536 when Justinian created the quaestura exercitus, a prefecture that was granted administrative control and jurisdiction of Moesia Secunda, Scythia, Caria, the Aegean islands, and Cyprus.4 Evidence suggests that the quaestor‘s main task was to ensure the supply, by sea, of agricultural products from the Aegean and NE Mediterranean to troops on the Danube frontier.5 While no definitive grain ships have been found in the E Mediterranean — what M. McCormick has called the “annona paradox”6 —, shipwrecks with the larger cargoes expected of state supply have remained rather elusive.

Optimal sidescan sonar and subbottom profiler surveying of ancient wrecks: The ‘Fiskardo’ wreck, Kefallinia Island, Ionian Sea

Marine geophysical data collected during an underwater natural and cultural heritage assessment survey along the coastal zone of Kefallinia Island in the Ionian Sea, Greece, showed among other seafloor features, the presence of a Roman shipwreck and its amphorae cargo on the seafloor. The study and analysis of the collected data demonstrated that: (i) sidescan sonar and chirp sub-bottom profiling systems, can successfully detect ancient shipwrecks and their amphorae cargo on the seafloor, (ii) the use of objective computer vision techniques in processing sidescan sonar seafloor images, is a valuable tool for the separation of potential ancient shipwreck targets from other seafloor features with similar acoustic signatures. Furthermore, a guideline for the data acquisition parameters that should be used to obtain optimal seafloor sonar images to maximize the separation of potential shipwreck targets from other seafloor features, is provided. The underwater sonar remote sensing techniques may also provide adequate indication regarding the amphorae hull stowage and its vulnerability to human activity in the area. The shipwreck is dated between 1st century BC and 1st century AD and is one of the largest found so far in the Mediterranean Sea, for that period. It is estimated that it was carrying about 6,000 amphorae. The amphorae cargo, visible on the seafloor, is in very good state of preservation and the shipwreck has the potential to yield a wealth of information about the shipping routes, trading, amphorae hull stowage and ship construction during the relevant period and is therefore considered to be of significant archaeological importance.

3D RECORDING OF UNDERWATER ANTIQUITIES IN THE SOUTH EUBOEAN GULF

Abstract. An underwater archaeological survey was initiated in 2006 by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology in collaboration with the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece, in the South Euboean Gulf. The survey is being conducted under the direction of the archaeologist Dr G. Koutsouflakis and in the course of the project important shipwrecks of Classical, Roman, and Byzantine periods have been brought to light, adding tangible evidence on ancient seafaring and maritime trade. The South Euboean Gulf archaeological survey has presented many challenges to the documentation team of H.I.M.A, and has served as a case-study for 3D recording applied on ancient wrecks, found at medium depths (22-47m) and under the conditions that are imposed during an archaeological survey of a certain geographical region. This paper focuses on the implementation of photogrammetric and geodetic techniques used for acquisition and processing of collected data, in order to generate 3D models for six different wrecks, resulting in a fast, reliable and cost efficient method to record underwater archaeological sites.

La question de la durée de vie d’Arles-Rhône 3 et de celle de la longévité des chalands gallo-romains du bassin rhodanien

The question of the lifespan of Arles-Rhône 3 and that of the longevity of Gallo-Roman barges of the Rhône basin. The question as to the lifespan of a boat is generally a difficult one, especially in the case of ancient wrecks. As regards the Arles-Rhône 3, however, studies have revealed a maximum lifespan of some 20 years, from 50 to the beginning of the 70s AD. If one considers that the hull of the barge, despite displaying numerous repairs, does not seem to show signs of very long use, this lifespan could perhaps be reduced to less than 10 years, or even less than 5. But the question as to the longevity of this barge, that is to say, the expected lifespan in optimal working conditions, is worth consideration because such a discussion has never been had regarding Gallo-Roman barges of the Rhône basin. For the moment and in the absence of sufficient data, there are only medieval documents to tell that, depending on the type of boat, the quality of construction, maintenance and use, the longevity of Rhône barges fits into a very narrow time frame of between 6 and a dozen years.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion of archaeological artefacts: characterisation of iron(II) sulfides by Raman spectroscopy

AbstractArchaeological objects are exposed to the action of micro‐organisms when they lay in a biologically active environment. The presence of iron sulfides in the corrosion system testifies in most cases that the degradation was influenced by sulfate‐reducing bacteria. Iron sulfides and other iron/sulfur‐containing compounds were detected by micro‐Raman spectroscopy in rust layers of archaeological ferrous objects and in wet wooden fragments contaminated by iron, extracted from ancient wrecks. Although mackinawite (FeS) is very reactive towards oxygen, this phase was observed in each sample. Its crystallisation levels and oxidation states could be differentiated. Greigite (Fe3S4) was also identified by means of X‐ray diffraction, used when possible as a complementary analytical tool. Known as the result of the oxidation of mackinawite, greigite was likely to form during the experiments carried out without any protection against air. It was then possible to describe the formation and oxidation processes of iron sulfides in archaeological iron artefacts or in organic materials contaminated by iron. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ancient Shipwreck Survey and the Modern Submarine Landscape off Yalikavak, Turkey

AbstractThe Aegean Sea has long been considered a prime location to search for shipwrecks from antiquity. An expedition in 2008 conducted surveys off the southwestern coast of Turkey in coastal waters deeper than 50 m. In addition to locating four ancient wrecks, we documented the condition of the modern landscape, which included heavy damage to the seabed and submarine features by trawling operations. A navigational boundary on the chart for this area delineates a region within which large vessels are prohibited from operating. All of the wrecks were found within this zone, but outside it very few targets were found with sonar. The modern impacts on the submarine landscape have masked potential areas where ancient sites may have once been. The scarred condition of the seafloor in large areas of the Aegean Sea is a result of trawling activity in the region. Studies of modern activities in coastal areas may help target areas in which wrecks may still be preserved today.

Conservation of acid waterlogged shipwrecks: nanotechnologies for de-acidification

Preservation of waterlogged wooden artifacts, and in particular ancient wrecks, is a challenge in cultural heritage conservation. Samples, from the Swedish warship Vasa, are under investigation in order to develop innovative methods for wood de-acidification and preservation. The Vasa represents a unique case in the study of ancient wrecks. In the past four years the problem of the acidity of wood emerged as a strong threat to its conservation. The production of sulphuric acid inside the ship wood might be the cause of both chemical damage through the acid hydrolysis of cellulose, and of physical damage of the wood’s pore structure, due to the crystallization of sulphate minerals in the wood pores. In this paper we show that wood acidity can be neutralized by the application of nanoparticles of alkaline-earth carbonates and/or hydroxides. The treatment provides an alkaline reservoir inside the wood. Nanoparticles absorbed in the wood from an alcoholic dispersion adhere to the wood wall and release hydroxyl ions leading to the wood neutralization. Oak and pine samples from the Vasa wreck were characterized and treated with alkaline magnesium or calcium nanoparticle dispersions in non-aqueous solvents. De-acidification was monitored by pH changes and thermal analysis, and all the treated samples were submitted to thermal artificial ageing in order to demonstrate the efficacy of the method. The results obtained opened a new perspective in wood conservation.

Nanoparticles of Calcium Hydroxide for Wood Conservation. The Deacidification of the Vasa Warship

The seventeenth century Swedish warship Vasa represents a unique case in the study of ancient wrecks and a challenge for finding new methods for artifacts conservation. The presence of sulfuric acid inside the wooden structure of Vasa is one of the possible causes of chemical damage of the wood. During recent investigations, pH values below 2 were observed inside the wreck in several places. Neutralization treatments temporarily raised the surface pH about 6 units, but after a few months the pH reverted back to original values. In this study we show that wood from the Vasa warship can be deacidified by using a dispersion in 2-propanol of calcium hydroxide nanoparticles. These particles can penetrate into the wood allowing a very efficient deacidification. Alkaline nanoparticles are converted into calcium sulfate without mechanical stress to the wood's lumens. Additional applications produce an excess of alkaline nanoparticles that are converted into carbonate, an alkaline reservoir to protect the wood from further acid attack. Artificial aging of Vasa wood demonstrates that nanoparticles facilitate protection of wood toward further acid degradation.

Carolyn: A Submersible for Archaeology

Inexpensive research submersibles can revolutionize the field of nautical archaeology. In the fall of 2001, archaeologists using a two-person SEAmobile made almost daily discoveries of ancient wrecks off the Turkish coast.

Classical shipwreck excavation at Tektaş Burnu, Turkey

In 1999 the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) began the excavation of a 5th-century BC shipwreck off Tektaş Burnu, a rocky headland on the west coast of Turkey between the Greek islands of Chios and Samos. The site was discovered in 1996 during INA’s annual survey, which has pinpointed more than 100 ancient wrecks off southwest Turkey. Since 1960 teams under Gcorge Bass have excavated wrecks ranging in date from Bronze Age to medieval, but the high classical period of Greece remained unrepresented. Interest in the Tektas wreck was spurred by its likely date, in the third quarter of the 5th century BC; it is the only wrecked merchantman to be securely dated to these years, and is therefore shedding unique light on seafaring and trade at the height of classical Athens.

Fouille de l'épave de la calanque de l'Âne (Marseille)

This wreck is located on the east coast of the Frioul archipelago, in the bay of Marseille. This ship, still under excavation, trans ported a cargo of tiles, at the end of the lst century AD. It is particularly characterized by its robust construction. Its massive mast step sits on two lateral keelsons. It is supported on the both sides of the mast step cavity by two pieces of buttressing with a triangular profile, elements never seen before on an ancient wreck. Theses pieces rest on the lateral keelsons and are nailed at their ends on to the frames

Les épaves grecques du VIe siècle av. J.-C. de la place Jules-Verne à Marseille

Several ancient wrecks were discovered during the excavation carried out in 1992-1993 in Marseille, place Jules-Verne, near the present « Vieux Port», on part of the ancient shore and its harbour installations. Among these, two Greek wrecks abandonned at the end of the 6th century BC were excavated in the summer ο f 1993. The remains of the first are homogeneous over 5 m of length and 1,50 m of width, but one of the ends have totally disappeared. Its main interest is the System of assembly entirely done with lashing, some of which are still in place. From the quality of the remains, this little wreck is a perfect example of the ancient sewn boats of the Mediterranean and of the lashing assembly technique used in archaic times. The second is preserved over a length of 14 m and a width of 4,70 m. The hull is broken in many places but nevertheless has very complete forms (whole keel, forms of the ends known, wall conserved up to the third wale). Its most remarkable characteristic is its double assembly System consisting of « tenon and mortise » οf an even earlier type for the greater part ofthe hull planking, but also by the lashing for certain other parts. The frames are directly nailed to the hull. This ship, built according to transitional techniques shows, in an excep- tional way, the passage from the ancient archaic assembly method by lashing to the new « tenon and mortise » building technique which was to predominate later ail over the ancient Mediterranean. Once excavated, the two wrecks were removed in order to be treated for conservation before being exhibited in the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille.

The Roman wreck ofc. AD 200 at Plemmirio, near Siracusa (Sicily): second interim report: The domestic assemblage 1: medical equipment and pottery lamps

A Roman wreck, Plemmirio B, lies in 22–47 m depth off the southern (Plemmirio) cliffs of Penisola della Maddalena, 5 km south of the Great Harbour (Porto Grande) of siracusa, Sicily (Figs 1, 2). The wreck was first seen in 1953, and was discovered anew by a University of Bristol expedition in 1974. Investigations at the site are now complete, after a programme of intensive survey and excavation by teams from the Universities of Bristol (1983) and Cambridge (1985, 1987). An interim report, based on work carried out to the end of the 1983 campaign, has been published (Gibbins & Parker, 1986); the present paper is the first of several reports to contain interim discussion of results from the 1985 and 1987 seasons. The Plemmirio B ship was transporting a small cargo of iron bars and North African cylindrical amphoras, and is a type-site for a group of 20 wrecks indicative of the first major phase of amphora export from Africa Proconsularis about the time of the Emperor Septimius Severus (AD 193–211). The first part of this paper contains a brief description of research objectives and methodology at Plemmirio, and a preliminary outline of 1985 and 1987 findings. Concentration in the second part is on two categories of artefacts among the assemblage of domestic objects from the ship's galley and living area. A unique discovery on an ancient wreck was a collection of medical equipment, probably part of a surgeon's instrumentarium; this material comprised two bronze scalpel handles with blunt dissectors, a bronze scalpel handle combined with an iron cautery or cataract needle (?), and a possible wooden ‘bandaging stick’. Four pottery lamps, one stamped on the base IVNDRA, an abbreviation of the maker's name, are also of exceptional interest. All are of a general form datable elsewhere to the Severan period; two can be provenanced to North Africa and two to central Tyrrhenian Italy, a pattern which is reflected in other domestic pottery from the wreck and is further evidence of the ship's movement between the ports of Africa Proconsularis and Rome[1].

Ancient wrecks and the archaeology of ships

Ancient wrecks and the archaeology of ships

Survey techniques in underwater archaeology

The land archaeologist is, in most instances, helped by the topography of the ground; there are generally good reasons for believing a certain area to be of archaeological interest and the irregularities of the ground will give him leads as to where he should dig. The underwater archaeologist may have no such indications on which to base his search, especially if he is interested in finding a well-preserved ancient wreck. Shallow wrecks can often be found near dangerous rocks but such wrecks are liable to be broken up by succeeding storms with the result that they have little or no interest to the marine archaeologist. There are three ways in which ancient wrecks may be discovered. Amateur or professional divers find sunken ships in the course of other diving activities. For instance in the eastern Mediterranean hundreds of sponge divers have been active during many years and have covered large underwater areas visually. This has resulted in the accurate positioning of many wrecks. The divers involved have in most instances not precisely pin-pointed the wreck position and although the general area is known they have to be refound. Secondly, the possible existence of wrecks have been suggested by trawler operators either working for fish or sponges. Amphora and in exceptional instances bronzes have been found in their nets. These will give approximate positions and again precise location must be accomplished by other methods. The third approach to finding ancient sunken ships is by searching large areas in the blind hope that something of interest will be found. Unfortunately the sea is very large! Even when using methods having a wide sweep, such as sonar, the time and effort involved make this approach almost impossible except in confined areas where there are reasons to believe that wrecks would have occurred.

Underwater Surveying and Draughting—A Technique

‘No attempt worthy of the name has yet been made to explore an ancient wreck. Marine Archaeology will only become a science by practice, patience and experience. But at any rate we know enough to say that any excavation likely to fulfill its purpose will be heart-breakingly slow and will only be achieved underwater’.Philippe Diolé, L’Aventure Sous-Marine, 1951.Rapid strides in the development of underwater excavation have been made during the past two decades. New techniques of diving, raising objects, and removing sand and mud make practical the excavation of sites lying at depths up to 150 ft. The problems encountered in making accurate three-dimensional plans, however, are only slowly being solved. The methods used by the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, in excavating two ancient wrecks off the southern coast of Turkey, present partial solutions to these problems.The excavation of a late Bronze Age shipwreck, reported lying near Cape Gelidonya by Peter Throckmorton, has been discussed more fully elsewhere. This wreck rested upon bedrock, which was unfortunate from an archaeological point of view as there was no protective covering of sand to preserve the wooden hull. The survey of the site and its remains, however, was relatively simple. Scattered heaps of metal cargo were photographed, plotted and then, not without considerable difficulty, removed to the surface in lumps held together by 32 centuries of deep sea concretion.

Premiers resultats des recherches sedimentologiques de "La Calypso" et de la station marine d'Endoume a l'archipel de Riou (Marseille)

Abstract Sediments filling and covering an ancient (first century B. C.) wreck off the island of Grand Congloue in the Riou archipelago, southern France, are a means for measuring sedimentation in this area, including the activity of coral-building organisms. The study includes granulometric analyses of bottom sediments, from various bionomic zones, in the vicinity of the archi-pelago.

Ancient wrecks and relics of European vessels on Australian coasts

Ancient wrecks and relics of European vessels on Australian coasts