A 2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck, discovered off the coast of Croatia, is yielding new secrets about ancient ship maintenance and trade routes.
The Wreck
Discovered in 2016 under just 4 meters of water, the Roman-era vessel, named Ilovik-Paržine 1, dates back approximately 2,200 years to the Roman Republic period.
The Secret of the Coating
Archaeologists took 10 coating samples from the wreck’s preserved wood.
- The waterproofing was primarily achieved with pine tar (pitch).
- One sample revealed a surprising mixture: pine tar combined with beeswax.
- Pollen analysis of the coatings showed plant matter from Mediterranean coastal vegetation, scrublands, wetlands, and mountainous regions. This indicates the ship was treated at multiple locations.
A Ship's Working Life
Statistical analysis revealed at least four or five distinct, layered applications of waterproofing.
This suggests the ship was maintained repeatedly during its service life. Researchers believe it was originally built in Brundisium (modern-day Brindisi, Italy) and received further coatings at different ports along its route.
Historical Context
The discovery validates ancient texts. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder described a similar substance called "zopissa" —a mixture of pitch and wax scraped from ship bottoms.
Lead Researcher
The study was led by archaeometrist Armelle Charrié-Duhaut of the University of Strasbourg and published in Frontiers in Materials.