Archaeologists in Serbia are rushing to preserve the skeleton of an ancient Roman ship, the second such discovery near the ancient city of Viminacium since 2020. Previous findings suggest the ship may date back as far as the third or fourth century.
Serbian Coal Miners Uncover Roman Ship Near The Ancient City Of Viminacium
Archaeologists near Kostalac, Serbia, painstakingly brush sand and soil off the woodwork of an ancient Roman ship on August 2. The ship was discovered by an excavator crew at the Drmno mine.
It is the second such discovery in the area, which contains the Roman settlement known as Viminacium.
Lead archaeologist Miomir Korac said previous findings suggest the ship may date back as far as the third or fourth century, when Viminacium was the capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior and had a port near a tributary of the Danube River.
Mladen Jovicic, who is part of the team working on the newly discovered ship, said moving the 13-meter hull without breaking it will be tough.
"Our engineer friends...will prepare a special structure that will be lifted by a crane, and...the entire process of gradual conservation will follow," he said.
A model of the ancient city of Viminacium in the museum in Kostolac.
The vessel was probably part of a river fleet serving the sprawling and highly developed Roman city of 45,000 people, which had a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, a palace, temples, an amphitheater, aqueducts, baths, and workshops.
In this photo from May 2020, archaeologists inspect parts of an earlier wooden Roman ship that was discovered near the ancient city.
Archaeologists believe that the two ships and three canoes uncovered so far in the area either sank or were abandoned at the riverbank.
The vast archaeological site also contains the remains of a Roman legion's headquarters.
The fortress was an essential military establishment on the Danube frontier whose remains have provided archaeologists insights into Roman military architecture and organization.
In this photo from 2016, Korac displays a golden amulet that was discovered at the ancient city.
Excavations at Viminacium have been going on since 1882. However, archaeologists estimate they have only scoured 5 percent of the site, which they say is 450 hectares (bigger than New York's Central Park) and unusual in not being buried under a modern city.
Gold coins, tiles, jade sculptures, mosaics and frescoes, weapons, and the remains of five woolly mammoths are featured at the museum in Kostolac.
One of the most significant discoveries at Viminacium was an intact Roman sarcophagus that had been undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. The tomb was filled with artifacts.