Traces of the oldest shipwreck found in the Adriatic Sea
Underwater archaeologists have discovered a sunken ship in the waters of the Adriatic Sea near the island of Ilovik. He lay at a depth of only a little over two meters. The study showed that this is not an easy find – the ship was recognized as the oldest of all that has ever been found at the bottom of the Adriatic, reports Total Croatia News.
The vessel was dated back to the 2nd century BC. It was built from wood using the “groove and ledge connection” method: first, the formwork was built, then the ship's frame was placed on it and everything was connected with wooden wedges.
Scientists concluded that it was a merchant ship following an important sea route. The length of the ship is from 20 to 25 meters.
“It is a real miracle that it has remained so well hidden for centuries,” – noted the study participants.
It is known that the vessel was accidentally discovered by the Slovenian archaeologist Milan Erik. The research was carried out using modern methods, in particular, radiocarbon dating. The ship lay on loose sand, which made it difficult to work, so in parallel with the excavations, archaeologists had to build a dam. They also lifted several artifacts from the ship, which were later transferred to the museum.
Scientists noted that the find makes it possible to better understand the technology of building ships in ancient times. It also shows that the area near the island of Ilovik was an important part of the sea trade routes.
Earlier it was reported that an old anchor was raised from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Its age was more than two thousand years.
