Next month, researchers and scientists will pull a well-preserved shipwreck dating back to roughly 1200 BC from the sea in sections for further study and analysis. Located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Croatia in the Bay of Zambratija, the Zambratija ship has captivated researchers primarily because it is one of the oldest examples of a hand-sewn boat and holds clues to the shipbuilding techniques used in the region around the time.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Centre Camille Jullian, along with the Archaeological Museum of Istria, are leading the project to remove the sections of the ship from the sea floor next month. Once the parts are safely on the surface, the teams of researchers may more easily study the ship’s architecture and construction techniques more closely.
The boat measures roughly 23 feet in length and is of interest to researchers mainly because it’s a hand-sewn boat, a technique that was common before metal fasteners became available. This type of building method involves wooden planks sewn together with tendons or flexible fibers, like roots, ropes, or willow branches – a style that is apparently rare in the Adriatic region, and the Zambratija ship is the oldest example of this construction technique to be found in the Mediterranean.
The planned study and analysis of this ship is helping researchers understand more about the techniques that were used to construct it. The researchers also hope to learn which fibers were used and the likely date of construction which was around 1200 BC.
In addition to the technical analysis, the teams also plan to desalinate, restore, and eventually place the ship in a naval maritime heritage museum once their study is complete.
Such archaeological finds will always prompt further study and analysis, however, the teams involved in this particular project seems to be highly knowledgeable in the field and will no doubt discover a great deal of information and insights about the ship’s construction. It’s regular projects such as these that help researchers to build a deeper understanding and appreciation of our shared past, helping us to better piece together the history of our ancestors and understand the stories that they left behind.
