2,000-year-old Roman boat discovered in sea off Sukošan in Croatia

ZAGREB, 7 Nov (Hina) – Archaeologists from the coastal city of Zadar have discovered a Roman wooden boat more than 2,000 years old in the sea off Sukošan, at a depth of only two metres, the director of the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, Mladen Pešić, confirmed to Hina earlier this week.

“The ancient port of Barbir near Sukošan was discovered in 1973, and for a long time it was documented only on the surface, thanks to research by archaeologist Boris Ilakovac. In 2017, new, more serious work began in the area, in parallel with the research on a Roman villa on the mainland, which was significantly damaged due to modern construction. Luckily, part of the site under the sea is well preserved,” said Pešić, who is also the head of this extensive research project.

The boat, measuring about three metres in width, is covered by sand, and so far nine metres of its length have been uncovered.

Apart from the outer parts that have been damaged by shipworms, the rest of the boat is in incredibly good condition thanks to the fact that the wood has been preserved in the sand for two millennia, the head of research said.

The undersea research has been going on for the past six years, during which time the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology has been cooperating with the German Archaeological Institute, as well as with other partners, including the University of Oxford, the University of Zadar and the Museum of Archaeology.

Video below published by Zadarski.hr