- Italian archaeologists have uncovered
an almost perfectly preserved fleet of ships buried in the mud near Pisa
that may reveal much about ancient Rome's role as a maritime and trading
power.
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- Presented to the press Tuesday, the ships
were discovered in a 150-square-yard area by a construction crew building
a train station at Pisa, the London Times reports.
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- The vessels, which are believed to date
from the third century B.C. to the fifth century A.D., were once anchored
to a harbor in Pisa that has long since silted up and now lies several
miles from the coast, the Times says.
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- The ships range from 24 to 90 feet.
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- One of the ships boasts an elongated
prow that suggests it served a military purpose. "If confirmed, this
will make it the first Roman warship ever found," says Stefano Bruni,
the dig's leader.
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- Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, director of the
British School in Rome, tells the Times that the wooden ships are in remarkable
condition because they were encased in damp mud. "(The wood) is as
fresh as the day the ships sank. This is a very exciting find."
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- Bruni says more treasures may lurk in
the mud. "The fleet was obviously much bigger than the eight ships
found so far," he says. "We knew the site might have artifacts
of archaeological value, but nothing like this."
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- Among artifacts recovered so far are
the remains of rope used to tie the boats in harbor and the hull of a ship
found under 18 feet of mud. Hundreds of jars, or amphorae, that once contained
fruit, olives, wine and oil have also been unearthed.
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- "For me this is one of the most
important aspects of the discovery," says Wallace-Hadrill.
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- He adds, "This gives you the feel
of the range of goods ferried around the Mediterranean."
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- The jars will help confirm the age of
the wooden ships, which will be carbon dated.
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- Several theories abound as to how the
ships got buried. Some archaeologists think a giant flash flood may have
overwhelmed the vessels, while others believe that various maritime accidents,
storms and floods may have sunk the vessels at different times.
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