European researchers are embarking next month on an underwater mission to resurface the oldest known hand-stitched wreck in the Mediterranean.
Located off the Istria peninsula in Croatia, the Zambratija boat has ‘stood the test of time’, with nearly 30ft of its 39ft structure still relatively intact, according to a Press release from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). The ancient ship was originally documented in 2008, according to a report 2019, and found empty. However, much remains to be studied in the structure’s elm planks and plant fiber sloping seams – an excellent example of traditional pre-Roman shipbuilding in the Adriatic coastal regions of Istria and Dalmatia.
Hand-stitched boats are wooden vessels featuring boards connected by stitches, ties, and other flexible ties like branches and roots. These boats have been identified and attributed to different cultures around the world, including early Norse groups, the ancient Egyptian empire, and Austronesian communities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Currently, at least 64 hand-sewn boats ranging from the Bronze Age to the medieval period have been recorded in the Mediterranean.
At this time, archaeologists know that the Zambratija wreck dates to between 1101 and 901 BCE, based on the results of radiocarbon dating analysis, but will only be able to confirm its exact construction date once they will have brought the materials from the boat ashore for further testing.
Starting July 2, divers will swim down to the shallow bottom of Zambratija Bay to retrieve the hand-sewn boat in sections. The mission will be led by CNRS researcher Giulia Boetto from Adriboats — a research program on the antiquities of the Eastern Adriatic under contract with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Over the years, the program has worked closely with several other Croatian historical research institutions, including the University of Zadar and the Croatian Conservation Institute, to better understand the technological and cultural influences between ocean and river communities in Mediterranean.
A bi-national team from France’s Camille Jullian Center and Croatia’s Archaeological Museum of Istria (AMI) will then rebuild the vessel to study its construction more closely, focusing on the stitching fibers and woodworking techniques used to build the structure.
After analysis in Istria, the Zambratija boat will be desalinated, and in 2024 it will be transported to the Arc-Nucléart conservation-restoration workshop in Grenoble. Researchers hope to eventually exhibit the vessel in a museum showcasing Pula’s maritime history.
Hyperallergic contacted the CNRS research team for more information on the mission.
News of the recovery of the Zambratija wreck broke earlier this month, just weeks before the killer excursion of the titan submersible which would have imploded during its descent towards the wreck of the Titanic. The Titan ship was built and operated without official certification by OceanGate Expeditions for use in deep-sea tourism, and the accident has led some experts to fear for the future and prospects for funding scientific ocean exploration efforts.
