A Graveyard of Ships
Some fifty miles from the safety of Naples lies the little island of Ventotene, known in Roman times as Pandataria. Because of its remoteness - and because it was all but uninhabited - the island was much used by Roman emperors as a way of getting rid of their unwanted relatives and courtiers. Augustus, for example, sent his daughter Julia there when accusations - possibly false - of immoral behaviour caused a public scandal that threatened his hold on power.
The island also provided the only shelter for storm-tossed ships caught far from land and was a valuable harbour for vessels coming from Spain or north africa and bound for Naples or Rome. As such, however, it was somewhat of a double-edged sword, for the entrance to the harbour required some delicate navigation and a ship which had lost its rudder (steering oar) or was otherwise damaged, or for which the wind was coming from the wrong direction, might have been better off heading for the open sea and attempting to weather the storm.
Such, it would seem, was the case for five ships recently discovered off the coast of Ventotene. Archaeologists scanning the sea-bed with sonar equipment have found what appear to be five pristine wrecks, undamaged by fishing nets and, so far at least, deep enough to be beyond the reach of amateur divers.
Based on the style of ship ships and of the cargo they were carrying in amphorae, the archaeologists believe that they date from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. "The ships appear to have been heading for safe anchorage, but they never made it," said Timmy Gambin, head of archaeology for the Aurora Trust. "So in a relatively small area we have five wrecks...a graveyard of ships."
A "graveyard" is probably a little bit of exaggeration, but the finds, which are over 300 feet below the surface, are certainly exciting. One ship appears to have been carrying wine from Italy bound for the refined palettes of Romans in the "colonies". Other cargoes probably include fish sauce from Spain, which was highly prized in ancient times, and a third ship has a cargo of metal ingots.
Unfortunately new techniques of scuba diving, known as "mixed gas diving" make it possible for amateurs to venture deeper than ever before and these wrecks are now in the danger zone for pillage by amateur divers. "There is a race against time," said Tim Gambin. "In the next 10 years, there will be an explosion in mixed-gas diving and these sites will be accessible to ordinary treasure hunters." As a result the Italian archaeological authorities are making plans to mount rescue "digs" on the ships, to recover as many artefacts and as much information as possible before the general public gets his flippers on them.
© Kendall K. Down 2009
