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An incredible Roman shipwreck thought to be one of the largest ever to be found in the Mediterranean, has been discovered off the coast of Kefalonia. The site was found by pure accident during sonar imaging investigations that were taking place along Kefalonia’s coastline.
A spokesman for the team said,
“It’s half buried in the sediment, so we have high expectations that if we go to an excavation in the future we will find part or the whole wooden hull, that could tell archaeologists when and where the ship was made, where the material came from and how it was repaired.”
The archaeological team from the University of Patras have nicknamed the ship “Fiscardo,” and it’s thought to be 34 metres long and 13 metres wide, making it a large sailing vessel. The team also think from the artefacts found in and close to the ship that it dates from the 1st century B.C. to 1st century A.D.
The ship was carrying around 6,000 amphora when it sank, and those that remain on the sea bed are said to be in excellent condition. The experts hope to learn more about the ship and life at its time of sailing from the artefacts which are thought to have likely been holding grain, olive oil and wine at the time, although this can’t be confirmed until opened. The team also think there could be other artefacts under the amphora waiting to be discovered. The sonar imaging survey also located three World War Two wrecks that included a plane and two ships.
This is an incredibly exciting discovery and we look forward to hearing more about the Roman ship and its cargo.
