The shipwreck of a 1st century BC Roman amphora laded merchant ship

 During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Roman state expanded across the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, encountering numerous and hostile Illyrian tribes that rebelled against Roman rule for centuries. In the 9th century AD, Roman rulers divided the Illyrian province into Dalmacia and Panonia.

 On the island of Pag, which Latin sources referred to as Cissa, the Romans came across a powerful Illyrian tribe, the Liburians. Famed seafarers, the Liburians dominated a vast area of the Adriatic Sea during the early centuries of the first millenium before Crist.

 Roman power was strengthened with the arrival of numerous settlers who hailed from areas of Italy and other parts of the Roman state. This influx of settlers influenced an increase in maritime trade with local coastal areas and other parts of the Mediterranean. However, hostile attacks from indigenous tribes, poor understanding of navigational routes and climatic lead to numerous shipwrecks, many of which can be found today.

 The known Roman settlements on the northern part of Pag: Cissa in the Caska region; and Navalia in the Novalja region, developed into political, administrative and maritime centers.

 The ancient Greeks were the first to use the amphora as a means of storing oil, wine and many other products. However, it was the Romans who adopted the amphora as a way to transport goods as their maritime trade increased across the Mediterranean.  Made from a resilient ceramic material, the amphora has withstood the ravages of time and enables us to study the cargo of ancient shipwrecks. This has given us insight into the ancient maritime trade routes and economy of the period.

 In the spring of 2004. the discovery of a sunken 1st century BC merchant ship by Drazen Peranic, revealed a collection of one hundred amphorae and the remains of two lead anchor. This marine archeological site is located in Vlaška Mala bay, Velebit Canal, eastern of Pag.

 Marine archeologists determined that the amphorae belong to a class called Lamboglia 2. Manufactured on the westrn Adriatic coast, there is a belief that production of this type of amphora also occurred on the eastern coastal regions of the Adriatic.

 Used principally for wine transportation, this class of amphora was predominantly produced from the mid 2nd century to the end of the 1st century BC and utilized mainly for the local Adriatic maritime trade but was also found in other Mediterranean regions. Discovered on one of the retrieved amphora, was the inscripton, "Timo", imprinted by the manufacturer to mark the production series.

 Along with the amphorae and two lead anchors, other objects were discovered. Close to the main concentration of amphora four ceramic bowles and a grain mill were also found. All these object were part of the ship's gallery. During an archeological survey of the site, on its outskirts a lead weight used as a depth gauge was discovered.

 The city of Novalja, with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture, declared the archeological discovery a protected site in May 2004. Today, the site is protected with an iron cage, 10 meters wide, 12 meters long and 2 to 4 meters high were scientists are allowed access through a hatch to conduct research. Recreational divers have free access to visit the site. For those who don't have the opportunity to visit the site, a photographic and video exhibition of the site can bi viewed, along with recovered artifacts, in a local museum in Novalja.

Text: Irena Radić Rossi

Photos: Daniel Frka, Ratko Petričić, Irena Radić Rossi

Web: Vladimir Marušić