Roman Shipwrecks

  • A number of shipwrecks from the Roman Period and Classical Antiquity have been discovered and preserved in various museums which are listed below.

List of Roman Shipwrecks

  • Greece:
  • Italy:
    • Julia Felix
      • Found off the island of Grado in the Adriatic.
    • Lake Nemi Roman Shipwrecks
      • Two giant vessels found sunk at the bottom of Lake Nemi.
    • Albenga Naval Museum
    • Caligula's Giant Ship
      • Fiumicino, Portus, sunk in harbour to build the lighthouse.
    • Comacchio Museum
      • The Comacchio Roman Shipwreck which has an exhibition in the Comacchio Museum, near Ravenna. The Wreck had a cargo of 102 Lead Ingots from Spain and Amphorae and dates to the end of the 1st century BCE,
    • Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa
      • In 1998, over 30 Roman shipwrecks were excavated in a remarkable state of preservation. They dated from the Roman Period between 3rd century BCE to 7th century CE. The ships are now in this museum opened in 2019.
  • Sicily:
    • Plemirio, Syracuse, Sicily.
      • Roman Shipwreck (200 CE)
  • Corsica
    • Capo Corso 2
      • 1st-2nd century CE Roman Shipwreck located at a depth of 1,150 feet (350m).
      • It’s cargo consisted exclusively of Glass which is thought to have originated from the Levant.
      • An ROV called ‘Arthur’ was sent to collect samples and found both unworked Glass blocks in different sizes and colours, as well as finished glass kitchen and tableware.
      • The vessel is thought to have originated in Lebanon or Syria and been headed towards France.
  • France:
    • Madrague de Giens Roman Shipwreck
      • After being excavated, it remains buried in the sand at a depth of 65 feet (20m) off the coast of Madrague de Giens near Toulon.
      • ‘Myriophoroi’ (75-60 BCE) it weighed 550 tons with a capacity 10,000 Amphorae and was 131 feet (40m) long.
    • Arles Rhone 3
      • 1st century CE flat bottomed Roman river cargo boat found preserved in the mud by the quayside where it sank.
      • Restored and located in the Arles Museum of Antiquities, Arles at Presqu’ile du Cirque Romain, Arles.
  • Britannia:
  • Germania Superior:

List of non-Roman Shipwrecks from the Ancient World

  • Uluburun Shipwreck
    • Turkey
  • Syracusia
    • Sicily, Greek
  • Kyrenia
    • Cyprus, Greek
  • Giglio Island Shipwreck
    • Italy, Etruscan
  • Marsala Warship Shipwreck
    • Sicily, Carthaginian
  • Godavaya Shipwreck
    • Sri Lanka, from the first century BCE or CE. It contained Iron and Copper Ingots, Blue Green and Black Glass Ingots, from southern India and Pottery. Possibly heading towards Egypt.

 

 

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