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underwater archaeology of naval battles
#1
With all the finds of merchant ships around the Mediterranean, I am not sure if I"ve ever heard tell of the find of a naval warship. I would think that several of the big sea battles like Actium and Salamis would yield a lot of artifacts. I was thinking Actium particularly would have lots of bronze helmets at the least among the wreckage. Has anyone ever heard of a concentrated effort to find the sites? It's a big ocean I know, but there must be some clues. <p>Aulus<br>
Legio XX
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Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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#2
Well Rich, the short and cruel reply would be: fat chance.<br>
Ancient warships were of comparatively light build. Naval battles were invariably fought close to land. Defeated/sunk ships were thus easily crushed on the land by the waves. What was left was open to plundering by people looking for sturdy wood.<br>
What was left on the bottom of the sea, has probably long since rotted away. Freighters have partially survived because their load (of which there was of course as good as none in warships except for some water for the crew), earthenware amphorae usually, which doesn't rot, protected the timbers. That's why usually only the bottom of the ship is left.<br>
At the moment there's one known wreck of a warships in Mediterranean waters, a Punic wreck that was found off Marsala in Sicily. Have a look here:index.waterland.net/navis/home/frames.htm. This ship was probably a light warship of some 40 oars.<br>
I'm not sure, but Salamis has most probably been searched for wrecks. The place is accurately known, but for the reasons mentioned above, there's probably nothing to find there.<br>
<p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#3
Not to mention the expense of trying to find anything. By the way, is the battle of Actium site more or less known? I would imagine the water depth would be a real problem too. <p>Aulus<br>
Legio XX
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Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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#4
Maybe you ahave heard this news already.<br>
Roman ships found at site of old port of Pisa.<br>
The ships go from second century BC to third-forth AD.<br>
They hope to find more.<br>
Check out the photo of the poor chap and his dog (navipisa3, the rightmost photo in the second row).<br>
www.my-tuscany.com/galleries/navipisa/Index.htm<br>
<br>
<br>
p.s. I read a few days ago that a Gallic Helmet circa 200 BC was found! <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 9/4/01 12:52:33 pm<br></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
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#5
Knew of these Goffredo, but thanks anyway. There's a possibly, but only that, Liburna among 6 or 7 coastal/river freighters.<br>
I left out river patrol ships in the above post consciously. However, the situation is not much better there. Many have been found, but only the two Mainz ones (see my travelogue) are definite military ships, later Empire, though we musn't exclude the real possibility that the other ships were used by Roman naval forces.<br>
<br>
The Battle of Actium site seems to have been located: luna.cas.usf.edu/~murray/actium/brochure.html <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ujasperoorthuys.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Jasper Oorthuys</A> at: 9/4/01 3:02:05 pm<br></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#6
Thanks for the links. I notice that depth is left out of the article on Actium. Must be below scuba limits. I wonder how much has been buried in sediment and how much is raised by fishing nets. <p>Aulus<br>
Legio XX
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Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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