Scientists have uncovered the secrets of the shipwreck of the Roman galleon of the time of Jesus

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The Mediterranean Sea holds many secrets in its depths. In ancient times, if there was a shipwreck, then everything was lost. There was no chance to save at least some part of the transported goods. The seabed is simply littered with the remains of ancient ships and their cargo. And no one knows what countless treasures are hidden by the thickness of the sea sand at the bottom.

In the modern world, there are many technical means to facilitate this kind of research. Also, unfortunately, there are many “black” treasure hunters for whom the historical value of the found items is not important, but only the money that can be obtained for them. This causes world history and archeology, incomparable, enormous harm. But archaeologists don't get bored either. And what we manage to find and explore can tell us a lot about the life and life of people in ancient times.

Recently renowned archaeologist Dr. George Ferentinos of the University of Patras in Patras (Greece) and his team came across something interesting. During archaeological excavations and data collection on the island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea, in the large bay of the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Adriatic, historians have discovered the remains of a shipwreck. The time when this shipwreck occurred, scientists have identified between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. This is a ship from the time of Jesus!

After research and analysis of materials, the sunken ship was recognized as a Roman galleon. The ship was carrying a very massive cargo, about 6,000 amphorae. Literally the entire seabed in the area of the shipwreck is littered with these amphoras. Also, archaeologists have found there large terracotta jugs with two handles and narrow necks. These jugs were mainly used to transport wine, fish oil and olive oil.

To research the ship, scientists used a side-looking underwater sonar. Almost 34 meters long and nearly 13 meters wide, the ship, which was named after the nearby village of Fiskardo, is one of the largest found so far in the Mediterranean, according to Dr. Ferentinos' research work at ResearchGate. In terms of its size, it is simply huge, larger than most merchant ships of the time. From this wreck, Dr. Ferentinos hopes to learn more about trade routes, shipbuilding, and how amphorae were stored in the holds of ships.

In order to find out what exactly was transported in the found amphoras and jugs, historians plan to conduct chemical analysis and DNA analysis. This will help give absolutely accurate information about the actual content of the amphora. Archaeologists believe that judging by the position of the galleon at the bottom of the sea, it slowly sank in an upright position. After the ship touched the seabed, the hull tilted slightly and seemed to lie down. Dr. Ferentinos also notes that an ancient Roman village, dating from about 146 BC, has now been excavated in Fiskardo. before 330 AD The village had dwelling houses, ubiquitous baths, an amphitheater and a cemetery. All of this taken together indicates the importance of this area as part of a trade route.

Three more ancient shipwrecks have been found in this eastern Mediterranean. Dascalio and Antisami, found in 2000 and 2011 in the Ithaca-Kefalonia Strait, were damaged by marauders. The third ship, which sank near the seaport of Vlora (Albania), was discovered in 2012. The latter is still in good condition. Archaeologists found another wreck off the coast of Antikythera in 2012. The ship was almost as big as Fiskardo's. This ship carried the world's oldest computing machine. Historians and archaeologists, to this day, have discovered, in total, fifty-eight shipwrecks in the Aegean archipelago. A number of naval ships have been discovered by international maritime archaeologists from Ephorat of underwater antiquities. Large-scale research began in 2015. And then only twenty-two crashes were discovered and since then thirty-six more.

The researchers carefully removed the amphorae from the sunken ships and, according to their estimates, they were on at least ninety percent of the cargo ships. While such goods were the most common cargo, some ships carried marble, marble columns, and sarcophagi. In the Adriatic Sea, between Italy and the coastline of the Balkan Peninsula, several vessels have been found carrying such heavy loads. This information is recorded by historians in the shipwreck database, as part of the Oxford Roman Economy Project. The exact coordinates of the location of the wreckage are not indicated due to fear of robbery.

Many ships have also been found in the Western Mediterranean, including the Torre Sgarrata sailing from Asia Minor to Rome. The ship was shipwrecked in the second century AD. The ship carried eighteen sarcophagi, twenty-three large blocks of marble and marble cladding with a possible total weight of two hundred, or even two hundred and fifty tons. Smaller loads included amphorae, other pottery, two glass vessels, and coins depicting Commodus, who was the emperor of Rome from AD 180 to 192.

All these shipwrecks, especially those in shallow waters like Fiskardo, need to be guarded. Since they are all under the threat of looting by treasure hunters or destruction when dragging anchors and fishing nets. Members of the Fournoi archaeological team have proposed the creation of an underwater museum so that students and interested divers can safely survey the wrecks. our article.