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Medieval Byzantine Shipwrecks in the Eastern Adriatic

Vesna ZMAIĆ orcid.org/0000-0003-2215-4177 ; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod Odjel za podvodnu arheologiju Cvijete Zuzorić 43 10000 Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

Between 2006 and 2011, the Department for underwater archaeology of the Croatian Conservation Institute
was engaged in a seabed survey off the shore of central and south Dalmatia. During the time of the exploration, the
archaeologists came across two archaeological sites featuring early medieval Byzantine amphorae, first dated to the
late 10th or the 11th century, and second to the 13th or 14th century.
The first site is located in the vicinity of Cape Stoba on the island of Mljet. The site contains the remains of a
sunken merchant vessel with materials of eastern Mediterranean origin. It was discovered by local divers in the
early sixties, when the removal of amphorae and other valuable material started. The first expert observation of
the site was organized in 1975. On that occasion between the remains of the ship’s cargo such as fragments of amphorae,
pottery and glass vessels, the complete amphora sealed with a wooden stopper was found. That valuable
find confirmed that the intact layer with complete material still existed on the site, so the exploration continued in
2010 and 2011. During that time many complete amphorae were found in the archaeological probes, oriented and
laid down probably in the same way in which they were stacked in the hull. The finds showed that the ship transported
at least eight different types of amphorae. The shape of those vessels is quite clearly of Byzantine tradition
with characteristic ribbed body. Several amphorae have wide bodies tapering towards slightly flattened and concave
bases, with short necks and vertical or slightly everted rim. Another type of amphorae has similar upper part
while the body is tapering towards a cone shape. Several types of piriform amphorae were found on the site. Some
of them were small and some of them were wider with greater volume. Parallels for these types of amphorae were
discovered in numerous sites around the Sea of Marmara and the Pontus area, in Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.
They are dated to the 10th and 11th century. Judging by the graffito incised on the amphorae the shipwreck could be
dated to the end of the 10th or to the 11th century. Several piriform amphorae whit rounded base, short necks and
tick handles slightly passing the rim were also found. It should be pointed out that these types of amphorae seemed
to have a much longer life and were quite numerous during the 10th to the 12th century and later. A large part of the
cargo consisted of glassware produced in the east Mediterranean. The fragments belong to bowls, bottles, cups and
plates in a variety of colors and patterns in two-color glass with a motif of an eye imprinted on a hot glass surface
and decorations of undulating or horizontal application of glass. A similar decoration is known in Egypt, Armenia
and some sites in the Caucasus from the 9th and 10th century. The origins of this glassware are probably in Byzantium,
but in the workshops of Syrian or Egyptian glassmakers’.
Another shipwreck is located in the vicinity of Merara islet in central Dalmatia Amphorae fragments were
discovered at a depth of 8 to 10 m. Due to the high concentration of amphora it can be concluded that the site is
indeed the location of a shipwreck. Most of the finds belong to Byzantine amphorae with a ribbed cylindrical body
and thick handles that stand higher than the rimless neck. No complete amphora has yet been found at Merara, but
similar example is exposed in the archaeological collection of the Franciscan monastery on the island of Krapanj,
found by the sponge-divers at an unknown site. The upper parts of the amphorae from Krapanj and Merara are
identical in size and shape; therefore it’s quite possible that the amphora from Krapanj was removed from this site.
This shape of amphorae is characteristic of the middle Byzantine period of the 13th and 14th century. This type of
amphorae was found at the underwater site Torre dell’Orso in the south of Apulia. Some analysis of the clay fabric
suggests that the production of these amphorae took place exactly in that area, and because of that they are known
as Later Puglian amphorae.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

104341

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/104341

Publication date:

1.8.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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