The Roman Shipwreck of Antirhodos Island in the Portus Magnus of Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract

Between 1998 and 1999 three excavation campaigns were undertaken on a shipwreck at the now‐submerged site of the ancient Portus Magnus, off the coast of Alexandria. The site, close to the island of Antirhodos, was identified through geophysical and archaeological surveys carried out by the Institut Européen d’ Archéologie Sous‐ Marine (IEASM), directed by Franck Goddio. The remains of the ship lie c.5-m deep and are spread over c.350-sqm. No cargo has been found. Artefacts recovered, the details of the ship's architecture and radiocarbon dating all suggest it sunk between the end of the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE. Its dimensions correspond to those of commercial ships of the Roman era. Identification of the wood used contributes significantly to our knowledge of materials used in naval architecture of this period.

Key words:

• maritime archaeology
• naval architecture
• Roman shipwreck
• Alexandria
• Egypt

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our respectful gratitude towards Franck Goddio, President of the Institut Européen d'Archéologie Sous‐Marine and director of the excavations, for entrusting us with the publication of the findings of the shipwreck of the island of Antirhodos. We would also like to thank Dr. Michael Fitzgerald, who conducted the preliminary study, as well as Dr. Catherine Grataloup and Dr. Andrew Meadows who analysed the ceramic pieces and coins, respectively. We also address our thanks to Dr. Damian Robinson and Dr. Sabine Laemmel for help with proofreading. We would finally also like to thank all those who took part in the excavation of the shipwreck, especially Bernard Camier, Stéphane Brousse and Fernando Pereira.