Professional paper

Conservation of a Roman-period ship from Zaton

Josipa Lovrić orcid.org/0000-0002-3748-477X ; Arheološki muzej Zadar, Zadar, Hrvatska

Abstract

In the 1970s, for the first time in these parts, conservation of waterlogged wood was carried out in Archaeological Museum Zadar. Two early Croatian ships from Nin, of Condura Croatica type, were conserved using polyethylene glycol solution. Excavations in the Roman port of Enona (Nin) resulted in finding and salvaging of two Roman-period sewn-plank ships of serilia type. These ships are unique because they were built with no metal components. All of their components were sewn together and only ropes and wooden wedges were used. The first of the two ships was conserved immediately after its salvaging in 1979. The second one was salvaged in 1987 but, by a combination of circumstances, it was not conserved for a number of years. Continuing the tradition, conservation of waterlogged wood by the same method was resumed. To this end, a new tank heating system was created: a hot-water heater was used. This paper describes the conservation of the ship, briefly analyzing the conservation method based on polyethylene glycol solution. It also offers a detailed description of heating of the tank with a hot-water heater.

Keywords

waterlogged wood conservation; sewn-plank ship; serilia; polyethylene glycol; desalinization

Hrčak ID:

266610

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/266610

Publication date:

2.12.2021.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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