01-07-2013, 05:02 AM
I just got back from the combined Archaeological Institute of America/American Philological Association conference where Dr. Jeffrey G. Royal did another talk on the underwater excavations from the First Punic War off the Egades Islands.
I am working up a full writeup, but here are some tidbits:
- The rams are in about a hundred metres of water not a few metres as was previously reported. Excavation is by ROV and bucket hoist; all small finds which have been found were pulled into amphorae, helmets, etc. by octopi.
- Ten rams are known thus far, all small and many of them with inscriptions. Based on the size of the keel socket, they were almost certainly attached to relatively small warships perhaps 20 m long
- Eight rams and seven helmets have been raised
- So far only one ram is definitely Punic. The Carthaginians in Sicily had captured many Roman ships, so Roman rams may have come from ships in Sicilian service.
(For an earlier post by Ruben about the talk in 2012, see here).
I am working up a full writeup, but here are some tidbits:
- The rams are in about a hundred metres of water not a few metres as was previously reported. Excavation is by ROV and bucket hoist; all small finds which have been found were pulled into amphorae, helmets, etc. by octopi.
- Ten rams are known thus far, all small and many of them with inscriptions. Based on the size of the keel socket, they were almost certainly attached to relatively small warships perhaps 20 m long
- Eight rams and seven helmets have been raised
- So far only one ram is definitely Punic. The Carthaginians in Sicily had captured many Roman ships, so Roman rams may have come from ships in Sicilian service.
(For an earlier post by Ruben about the talk in 2012, see here).
Nullis in verba
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
