PHOTOS: Oldest hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean found in Croatia
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Zambratija boat found in Istria (Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
An impressive archaeological discovery was made in the bay of Zambratija, near Umag on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula.
The oldest hand-sewn boat found in the Mediterranean, dating back to a period between the end of the 12th and the end of the 10th century BC, has been removed from the sea in the bay of Zambratija this week. The Zambratija boat has demonstrated remarkable preservation, with seven of its 12-meter sections remaining intact despite its age.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
The remains of the boat were first discovered in 2008 at a depth of two meters, about a hundred meters away from the tourist beach. It all began with a local fisherman from Zambratija, who had known about the location of wooden planks for years. It wasn’t until his friend brought archaeologists from the Archaeological Museum of Istria and the Conservation Department in Pula that they recognised the sewn planks underwater, characteristic of ancient hand-sewn boats.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
“Our excitement knew no bounds at that time because initially, we thought it was a Roman sewn boat. The biggest surprise came with radiocarbon dating of the boat’s structure by four world laboratories, conducted at the end of two archaeological campaigns in 2011 and 2013. The dating was performed on four samples of the planks, which placed the construction of the boat in the early phase of the Histrian culture, during the transitional period between the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. This information reverberated throughout scientific circles,” Ida Koncani Uhač, a senior curator at the Archaeological Museum of Istria, stated at a press conference this week.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
The Zambratija boat is considered a rare example of the ancient shipbuilding tradition of the Istria and Dalmatia regions in Croatia and was a remarkable technological achievement for its time.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
“Istria is rich in archaeological findings, and in the past 15 years, we have had several discoveries that transcend the local level and reach the status of global significance. The Zambratija boat is the oldest sewn boat in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, dating back to the period between the last quarter of the 12th century and the last quarter of the 10th century BC. This technology was specific to this region and has no parallel examples of such an ancient boat in the world. The boat serves as the archetype for all the vessels that were later found and built in the Adriatic. The significance of this discovery is evident from the fact that the French Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology provides substantial financial support for this project. It represents not only the discovery of a material artefact but also the unveiling of a technology that is Adriatic in nature, bearing witness to our identity and craftsmanship traditions that need to be preserved and presented. This is something that our ancestors were doing 3,200 years ago,” explained Darko Komšo, director of the Archaeological Museum of Istria.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
This find provides valuable insights into the maritime history and technological advancements of the time. The boat’s construction technique of being entirely hand-sewn showcases the craftsmanship and knowledge of ancient shipbuilders in the region.
(Photo credit Loic Damalet)
To further study and preserve this significant archaeological find, sections of the wreck were removed by a team of divers in the bay of Zambratija. These sections will undergo careful analysis, conservation, and research by a Franco-Croatian team from the Centre Camille Jullian (CNRS/AMU) and the Archaeological Museum of Istria in Pula, to gain a deeper understanding of the boat’s construction, its purpose, and its historical context, including identifying the fibres used for sewing and the techniques used.
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
Such discoveries contribute to our knowledge of ancient seafaring, trade routes, and the development of maritime civilisations in the Mediterranean region.
(Photo credit Loic Damelet)
After the thorough analysis, the remarkable Zambratija boat and its various components are scheduled to undergo desalination in Croatia. Following this process, they will be transported to Grenoble in 2024, where the skilled restoration experts at the Arc-Nucléart workshop will handle their meticulous restoration.
(Photo credit Loic Damelet)
(Photo credit: © Philippe Groscaux/Mission Adriboats/CNRS/CCJ)
The ultimate aspiration is to showcase the fully-restored boat in Istria’s rich naval maritime heritage in Pula, offering visitors a captivating glimpse into the region’s historical significance and seafaring traditions.
