Serbian Miners Unearth Remarkable Roman Shipwreck Archaeologists in Serbia are meticulously removing layers of sand and soil from the ancient wooden remains of a Roman ship that was unexpectedly discovered by miners in an expansive open-pit coal quarry.
Following the uncovering of timber by an excavator at the Drmno mine, experts from the vicinity of a former Roman settlement called Viminacium hastened to the scene to undertake the challenging task of preserving the ship’s skeleton. This remarkable find marks the second such discovery in the area since 2020.
The ship is believed to have been a vital component of a river fleet that served the sprawling and highly developed Roman city of around 45,000 inhabitants. This city boasted an array of impressive features including a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, a palace, temples, an amphitheater, aqueducts, baths, and workshops, as reported by Reuters.
Lead archaeologist Miomir Korac stated that initial evidence suggests the ship’s origins may reach as far back as the 3rd or 4th century AD, a period when Viminacium held the position of capital in the Roman province of Moesia Superior. The city was strategically situated near a tributary of the Danube River.
To prevent decay under the scorching summer heat, the wooden remnants were meticulously sprayed with water and sheltered under a protective tarpaulin.
Mladen Jovicic, a member of the team dedicated to working on the recently revealed ship, expressed the formidable challenge of maneuvering the vessel’s 13-meter hull without causing damage.
Although excavations at Viminacium have been ongoing since 1882, archaeologists estimate that they have merely scratched the surface, covering a mere 5% of the sprawling 450-hectare site – a landmass larger than New York’s Central Park. Remarkably, this archaeological site has managed to remain unburied beneath a modern urban center.
Among the wealth of discoveries made thus far are golden tiles, intricate jade sculptures, vibrant mosaics and frescoes, weaponry, and even the remains of three mammoths.
