"A remarkably preserved Roman merchant ship from the late Roman Empire resting just about six feet (two meters) beneath the crystal blue waters off the coast of the island of Mallorca, near the Iberian Peninsula, is set to be recovered and raised starting in 2026. The Ses Fontanelles shipwreck, dating back to the mid-4th century CE, has provided researchers with a detailed look at a time when Christianity was becoming more predominant across the Mediterranean."
"The hull of the ship was planted so deeply in the sand that a protective barrier without oxygen preserved the wreck for over 1,700 years, until its discovery by a local swimmer in 2019. The discovery of the 39-foot-long (12-meter-long) vessel had led to the formation of the Arqueomallornauta Project, created with the support of the Consell de Mallorca. An October 23 press release from the council announced that, at the recent International Maritime Archaeology Conference, a team of archaeologists and preservation technicians"
A mid-4th-century Roman merchant ship lies about two meters below the waters off Mallorca and will be recovered beginning in 2026. The wreck remained preserved for over 1,700 years because its hull was buried in oxygen-free sand and was discovered by a local swimmer in 2019. The 12-meter vessel contained more than 300 amphorae holding garum, olive oil, and wine and likely sailed from Carthago Spartaria (Cartagena). Many amphorae bear tituli picti inscriptions; archaeologists examined atramentum on 82 containers to trace producers, contents, and taxes, enabling reconstruction of late Roman Mediterranean trade routes.
Read at Hyperallergic
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