2,000 Year Old Roman Boat Found at Bottom of Kupa River

(screenshot/dnevnik.hr)

An interesting discovery in the Kupa river near Karlovac in central Croatia…

A 9-metre long Roman riverboat, believed to be around 2,000 years old, which was full of Roman bricks, has been found 5 metres deep in the Kupa river, Giulia Boetto from the Camille Jullian Research Centre announced at a press conference yesterday.

The boat was reported to be discovered around 30 years ago, and now experts say that it is a Roman riverboat, most likely from the end of the 1st century, which sank and had been preserved in mud. Underwater cameras will now help archaeologists carry out further investigations.

Boat believed to be from end of 1st century

“First we wish to really explore the location well, which will take at least 2-3 years, if not longer. After that, depending on the results, we will have enough material to see if we can make a partial reconstruction of the whole boat, but we will have to see in the future,” said archaeologist Krunoslav Zubčić to Dnevnik.

There is a theory that the Kupa river was used to transport items made of heavy stone from important finds from the period of the Roman Empire. This is the second boat of this type which has been found in Croatia. In 1985 a similar discovery was made.