Ancient and Medieval Wrecks

From the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages: the Uluburun trader, the Antikythera wreck, the Nemi ships, Viking burial ships and the White Ship that drowned the heir to the English throne.

This chapter of Lost at Sea holds 56 ships. For each one we give what she was, when and where she was lost, why she is remembered and where she lies today. See all 489 ships on one page.

Marea can build any of these ships as she was on the day she sailed, with the maximum detail the records permit. Many of these wrecks are war graves or the resting place of those lost with them, and we build them with that in mind.

This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence, from museums, heritage registers, archaeological reports, official inquiries, newspapers and encyclopaedias. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these ships better than we do.

Have you spotted a mistake, or is a wreck missing? Tell us which ship and what to correct, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here

The ships

Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Old Kingdom Egypt
Khufu ship Never lost at sea
Buried about 2500 BC · Pit beside the Great Pyramid, Giza, Egypt
The ship Egyptian royal barque (solar barque), burial ship, Old Kingdom Egypt
Built About 2500 BC, Fourth Dynasty
Size 43.4 m long, 5.9 m wide, 1.78 m deep; 1,224 pieces
Not lost at sea: the cedar ship was dismantled and sealed into a pit beside Khufu's pyramid.
Why she is remembered A complete Old Kingdom royal vessel, reassembled from 1,224 pieces.
The wreck today Found in 1954 by Kamal el-Mallakh; rebuilt by Ahmed Youssef Moustafa; shown at the Giza Solar Boat Museum from 1982 and moved in August 2021 to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Sources differ Its purpose is debated: funeral barge, pilgrimage vessel or purely symbolic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Matthäus Wander, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Bronze Age Britain
Dover Bronze Age Boat Never lost at sea
About 1550 BC (radiocarbon 1575 to 1520 BC) · Channel of the River Dour, Dover, Kent, England, now about 200 m inland and 6 m below ground
The ship Sewn oak plank boat, yew lashings, Bronze Age Britain
Size 9.5 m recovered; originally about 14 m long; 2 m wide
Not wrecked: the boat was laid up in a side channel of the Dour, still in good condition, and its yew stitches were deliberately cut so it could not be used again.
Why she is remembered A contender for the oldest seagoing boat found in Europe.
The wreck today Found on 28 September 1992 by Norwest Holst road workers with the Canterbury Archaeological Trust during A20 works; reassembled and displayed at Dover Museum since 1998. Part remains underground.
Sources differ Scholars debate whether it or the older Ferriby boats is Europe's oldest seagoing craft.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Unknown (Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean)
Uluburun shipwreck Reef and rocks
Late 14th century BC (dendrochronology about 1327 BC; radiocarbon 1320 BC plus or minus 15) · Uluburun (Grand Cape), off the Turquoise Coast, Bay of Antalya, southern Turkey, Mediterranean; 36.12861 N 29.68583 E; 44 to 52 m deep, finds to 61 m
The ship Late Bronze Age wooden single-masted sailing merchant ship, steered by a side oar, Unknown (Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean)
Size About 15 to 16 m long
A Late Bronze Age merchant ship carrying about ten tons of copper in 354 oxhide ingots, about a ton of tin, 175 glass ingots, 149 Canaanite jars of Pistacia resin, ivory, weapons and jewellery struck the headland at Uluburun, perhaps driven by wind, and sank.
Why she is remembered One of the richest Bronze Age wrecks ever found, a snapshot of trade between Egypt, the Levant, Cyprus and the Aegean; a gold scarab with the name of Nefertiti helps date it.
The wreck today Found in summer 1982 by sponge diver Mehmed Cakir; excavated in eleven campaigns from 1984 to 1994 (22,413 dives), directed by George F. Bass (1984) and Cemal Pulak (1985 to 1994). Finds and a reconstruction are shown at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Sources differ Dating: dendrochronology suggests about 1327 BC; radiocarbon gives 1320 BC plus or minus 15 years.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Martin Bahmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Cape Gelidonya shipwreck Other causes
About 1200 BC · Cape Gelidonya, Teke Peninsula, southern Anatolia, Turkey, between the Gulf of Antalya and the Bay of Finike; about 27 m deep on a rocky bottom
The ship Late Bronze Age merchant ship
A small trading ship carrying copper and tin ingots, scrap copper, Mycenaean pottery and merchant weights sank off Cape Gelidonya around 1200 BC.
Why she is remembered Its 1960 excavation is described as the first archaeological excavation of an underwater shipwreck in its entirety.
The wreck today Located in 1954; excavated from 1960 by Peter Throckmorton, George F. Bass, Joan du Plat Taylor and Frederic Dumas.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Phoenician
Mazarron II Other causes
7th to 6th century BC (refined to about 625 to 570 BC) · Off Playa de la Isla, Mazarron, Murcia, Spain; 37 33 34 N 1 16 06 W
The ship Phoenician trading boat, Phoenician
Size 8.1 m long, 2.5 m beam
A small Phoenician boat sank carrying 2,820 kg of litharge, a by-product of silver production, with pottery, a wooden and lead anchor and a basket. Her sister wreck Mazarron I lay nearby.
Why she is remembered One of the few Phoenician-era shipwrecks still largely intact.
The wreck today Found in 1994 about 200 ft off the beach, about six feet below the surface, and protected under a metal box, which by 2017 to 2019 was sinking onto the hull; raised September to November 2024. Both Mazarron wrecks are at the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology (ARQUA), Cartagena.
Sources Wikipedia · smithsonianmag.com
Image: Nanosanchez, edited by MagentaGreen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Greek
Porticello shipwreck Other causes
End of the 5th century BC · Strait of Messina, between Sicily and mainland Italy
The ship Greek merchant ship, Greek
A Greek ship carrying bronze sculpture sank in the Strait of Messina; fragments include the head of a bearded man known as the Philosopher of Porticello.
Why she is remembered Source of one of the earliest known Greek portrait heads in bronze.
The wreck today Found in 1969. The head is in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, Reggio Calabria.
Sources differ Dates for the head range from about 460 to 440 BC to the late 4th or early 3rd century BC.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Ma'agan Michael Ship Other causes
About 400 BC · About 75 m off Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael, about 35 km south of Haifa, Israel, Mediterranean, in shallow water
The ship Merchant ship, probably Cypriot
Built 5th century BC
Size 11 m long, 4 m wide, about 20 tons displacement
A small trading ship, showing no shipworm damage or wear and so perhaps lost on or soon after its maiden voyage, sank off the Carmel coast with about seventy pots, woodworking tools, rope and food stores.
Why she is remembered A well preserved Classical-era hull, reassembled for display; a working replica was launched in Haifa Bay on 17 March 2017.
The wreck today Found in autumn 1985 by Ami Eshel; excavated by the University of Haifa under Elisha Linder with Jay Rosloff of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. Reassembled hull displayed at the Hecht Museum, University of Haifa, since March 1999.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Classical Greek eastern Mediterranean (cargo from Chios)
Mazotos shipwreck Other causes
4th century BC (about 350 BC) · Off Mazotos, south coast of Cyprus, eastern Mediterranean, at about 45 m
The ship Ancient Greek merchant ship (classified by MASS as a corbita), Classical Greek eastern Mediterranean (cargo from Chios)
Size About 16 m by 6 m
A merchant ship carrying a cargo of about 500 to 800 amphoras, mostly from the island of Chios and mostly holding wine, sank off the south coast of Cyprus. At least one amphora held olive pits, probably food for the crew. Her hull joins the garboard, stempost and keel with both ligatures and mortise and tenon joints, combining Greek and Phoenician shipbuilding methods.
Why she is remembered She fills a gap in Mediterranean seafaring history between known wrecks of the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.
The wreck today Researched from 2007 and excavated in seven seasons up to 2018 by the Maritime Archaeological Research Laboratory (MARELab) of the University of Cyprus under Dr Stella Demesticha with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities; by 2018, 99 amphoras had been recorded under the foredeck. Finds include lead anchor stocks and are conserved in the university's Laboratory for the Conservation of Maritime Antiquities (set up 2010).
Sources differ Cargo given as about 500 to 800 amphoras (MASS); number of seasons given as three from 2010 (MASS) or seven to 2018 (University of Cyprus).
Sources ucy.ac.cy · mass.cultureelerfgoed.nl · mastermariners.org.au
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Carthage
Marsala Punic ship War
Mid 3rd century BC, probably 241 BC · Off Isola Lunga near Marsala, western Sicily; 37 48 04 N 12 25 36 E
The ship Carthaginian (Punic) oared warship (galley); a 'Sister Ship' merchant vessel lay nearby, Carthage
Built Punic inscriptions suggest 300 to 260 BC
Size About 35 m overall, 30 m keel, 4.8 m wide, about 120 tonnes
A Carthaginian warship sank off western Sicily in the mid third century BC; it is believed to have been lost in the Battle of the Aegates, 241 BC, when Rome defeated Carthage and ended the First Punic War.
Why she is remembered A rare excavated Carthaginian warship, with Punic inscriptions on her timbers, linked to the battle that ended the First Punic War.
The wreck today Found in 1969 by dredge captain Diego Bonnini; excavated 1971 to 1974 by Honor Frost, final report 1981. Reconstructed hull shown at the Baglio Anselmi regional archaeological museum, Marsala; the Sister Ship was reburied.
Sources differ Radiocarbon gives about 235 BC plus or minus 65; inscriptions suggest construction 300 to 260 BC; the battle link is an inference.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sarah_c_murray, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman era
Antikythera wreck Other causes
About 80 to 70 BC (coins minted 76 to 67 BC) · Off Point Glyphadia, Antikythera, Greece; 35.8897 N 23.3078 E; about 45 m deep, debris to about 70 m
The ship Roman-era merchant ship, Roman era
A large cargo ship laden with Greek bronze and marble statues, luxury goods and the geared Antikythera mechanism sank off Antikythera in the first century BC.
Why she is remembered Source of the Antikythera mechanism, described as an ancient analogue computer, and of the bronze Antikythera Youth and the Philosopher head.
The wreck today Found around Easter 1900 by Symi sponge divers under Captain Dimitrios Kondos; diver Elias Stadiatis first saw it. Jacques Cousteau visited in 1953 and worked there in 1976. Surveys and excavations by Brendan Foley and the Greek authorities from 2012, including a human skeleton found in 2016. Finds in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Sources differ Radiocarbon dating of hull planks gave 220 BC plus or minus 43 years, older than the coins and pottery; explained as old timber.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Republic
Madrague de Giens wreck Other causes
About 75 to 60 BC · Off La Madrague de Giens, Giens Peninsula, near Toulon, France, Mediterranean; 18 to 20 m deep
The ship Roman merchant ship (ponto, myriophoros), Roman Republic
Size 40 m long, 9 m beam, 4.5 m deep; about 400 tons deadweight, 520 tons displacement
A large Roman freighter carrying about 6,000 to 6,500 amphorae of wine from Terracina, stacked three layers deep, with Campanian black-glaze pottery, sank off the Giens peninsula. Ancient divers soon removed about half the amphorae.
Why she is remembered One of the largest Roman merchant ships known and the first large-scale truly scientific underwater excavation in France.
The wreck today Found in 1967 by the French Navy diving school; excavated 1972 to 1982 under Andre Tchernia and Patrice Pomey. A model is shown at the Museum of Ancient Seafaring, Mainz.
Sources differ The ship article gives about 75 to 60 BC; the Wikipedia list of 1st millennium shipwrecks gives about AD 60.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman era
Mahdia shipwreck Storm
Between about 80 and 60 BC · Off Mahdia, Tunisia, Mediterranean
The ship Roman-era cargo ship, Roman era
A ship carrying Greek marble and bronze sculpture, marble columns, furniture fittings and architectural elements was presumably driven by a storm onto the North African coast and sank.
Why she is remembered Its art cargo, including a bronze herm of Dionysus signed by Boethos, is a centrepiece of the Bardo museum.
The wreck today Found in June 1907 by Greek sponge fishermen; most sculptures salvaged 1907 to 1913 under Alfred Merlin. Finds in the Musee National du Bardo, Tunis, restored with the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn.
Sources differ Earlier dating linked the cargo to Sulla's sack of Athens in 86 BC; recent research lowers the date to perhaps 60 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Late Hellenistic or Roman eastern Mediterranean
Kızılburun column wreck Other causes
Third quarter of the 1st century BC · Kızılburun ('Crimson Cape'), Aegean coast of Turkey south of Izmir, about 50 km from Claros; 45 to 48 m deep
The ship Ancient stone carrier (marble transport ship), Late Hellenistic or Roman eastern Mediterranean
Size Cargo about 60 tonnes
Carrying eight marble column drums of Proconnesian marble from the Sea of Marmara, each about 1 m tall, 1.5 to 1.8 m in diameter and 6 to 7 tonnes, plus a Doric capital, she sank about 50 km short of her probable destination, the Temple of Apollo at Claros. Her cargo also included rough marble blocks, basins, mortars, stelai and about two dozen amphoras.
Why she is remembered A rare direct witness to how the ancients moved monumental architecture by sea, linking a wreck to a known temple building project.
The wreck today Excavated in five seasons from 2005 to 2011 by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (Texas A&M), directed by Deborah Carlson and Donny Hamilton; the drums were raised with lift bags and taken to INA's research centre in Bodrum for conservation and study.
Sources academia.edu
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Judaea
Sea of Galilee Boat Other causes
1st century BC to 1st century AD · North-west shore of the Sea of Galilee, near Kibbutz Ginosar, Israel
The ship Fishing boat (also known as the Ancient Galilee Boat or 'Jesus Boat'), Roman Judaea
Size 8.2 m long, 2.3 m wide, 1.3 m preserved height
A first-century working fishing boat ended up in the lake mud where it was preserved.
Why she is remembered A rare surviving boat of first-century Galilee; popularly called the Jesus Boat, though nothing links it to Jesus.
The wreck today Found in 1986 during a drought by brothers Moshe and Yuval Lufan; excavated in 12 days; soaked in wax for 12 years. On display at the Yigal Allon Galilee Boat Museum, Ginosar.
Sources differ Radiocarbon gives 40 BC plus or minus 80 years; pottery and construction suggest 50 BC to AD 50.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Travellers & Tinkers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman (Augustan period)
Comacchio Roman ship (Valle Ponti wreck) Other causes
Between 19 and 12 BC · Valle Ponti, near Comacchio, Italy (former Po delta coast, now reclaimed land)
The ship Flat-bottomed Roman sewn-plank merchant ship for river, lagoon and coastal trade, Roman (Augustan period)
Size 21.0 m long, about 5.60 m wide
Probably carrying cargo transshipped from a larger seagoing merchantman, she sank in the ancient Po delta with 102 lead ingots weighing 3.1 tonnes, some stamped AGRIP for Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, amphoras of wine from Aeolis, Caria and Kos, fine tableware, timber and the belongings of her crew. Finds of soldiers' footwear, a decorated sword and a dagger sheath suggest a military escort, and six miniature lead temples carry Augustan imagery.
Why she is remembered One of the best preserved Roman merchant ships in Italy, whose finds give a vivid picture of everyday life aboard, including women's and children's shoes. Lead isotope analysis published in 2021 traced the ingots to Macedonia.
The wreck today Found in autumn 1980 during dredging of the Canale Collettore, excavated in 1981 and recovered between 1986 and 1989. The hull is kept in a conservation tank (25 by 6 by 3 m) at Palazzo Bellini, Comacchio, not on public display; the cargo is shown in the Museo Delta Antico in Comacchio.
Sources differ Origin of the lead ingots: Spain (older accounts, questionecivile.it) versus Macedonia (2021 isotope study reported by Archeomatica). One source says the hull was left in situ underwater; another says it was removed in 1986 to 1988 and is stored at Palazzo Bellini.
Sources archeomatica.it · radiocaffecriminale.it · questionecivile.it
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Empire
Alkedo Other causes
1st century AD · Pisa San Rossore, Pisa, Italy (ancient river harbour)
The ship Roman rowing boat or pleasure craft for twelve oarsmen, Roman Empire
Built Holm oak and pine, painted red and white
A light Roman rowing boat sank in the harbour area of ancient Pisa. Her name, ALKEDO (seagull), survives on a tablet fixed to a rower's bench.
Why she is remembered A rare Roman boat whose own name is known; flagship of the Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa.
The wreck today Found in 1998 with about thirty other wrecks during building works at Pisa San Rossore station; displayed at the Museum of Ancient Ships, Pisa, with a full-size replica.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sailko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Empire
Arles Rhone 3 Other causes
1st century AD · River Rhone at Arles, France
The ship Roman flat-bottomed river barge (chaland), Roman Empire
Size 31.09 m long
A Roman river barge sank in the Rhone at Arles; amphorae and a marble statue of Neptune were recovered from the wreck.
Why she is remembered A complete Roman river trading barge, raised and displayed whole.
The wreck today Found in 2004; raised and on display since 2013 at the Musee departemental Arles antique.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Empire
Bou Ferrer Other causes
Mid 1st century AD, in the reign of Nero · Off Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain (Mediterranean), about 1 km from shore, at about 25 m
The ship Roman merchant ship (amphora carrier), Roman Empire
Built Reportedly built in a Neapolis (Naples) shipyard (National Geographic Historia)
Size About 30 m long; about 230 tons burden
Sailing from a port near Cádiz, probably for Rome or Narbonne, she carried about 2,500 to 3,000 Dressel 7 to 11 amphoras of fish sauce made from anchovy, mackerel and horse mackerel, and lead ingots stamped with imperial marks (IMP. GER. AVG) of the emperor. She sank off the coast of Villajoyosa.
Why she is remembered Called the largest Roman ship under excavation in the Mediterranean, with an exceptionally preserved hull. She is named after the sport divers José Bou and Antoine Ferrer who found her, and was the first underwater site proposed as a Bien de Interés Cultural in Spain.
The wreck today Under excavation since 2006, with research campaigns led by the Valencian heritage authority, Villajoyosa council, Vilamuseu and the University of Alicante from 2012. Protected since 2001; BIC procedure begun in 2014. Guided dives for divers are offered, presented as the only visitable wreck in Spain.
Sources differ Discovery year 1999 (National Geographic, patrimoniosubacuatico) versus 2001 (bouferrer.org). Amphoras about 2,500 (estimate) versus about 3,000 found to date. Each amphora held about 40 kg or about 40 litres.
Sources historia.nationalgeographic.com.es · bouferrer.org · patrimoniosubacuatico.net
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Republic
Grand Congloué 2 Reef and rocks
About 110 to 70 BC · Foot of the Grand Congloué islet, Riou archipelago, south of Marseille, France (Mediterranean), 32 to 45 m deep, partly above Grand Congloué 1
The ship Ancient Roman Republican merchant ship (wine carrier), Roman Republic
About a century after the first wreck, a second ship was lost at the same reef with more than a thousand Italic wine amphoras, most stamped SES for the Sestii family, landowners at Cosa in Etruria. She also carried Campanian black-gloss pottery, thin-walled wares, Hellenistic relief bowls and oil lamps.
Why she is remembered Her SES stamped amphoras made the Sestius family a classic case study of Roman wine exports. The Cousteau and Benoît excavation of 1952 to 1957 at first mistook the two wrecks for one; Luc Long separated them in 1987.
The wreck today Excavated 1952 to 1957, re-examined 1980 (DRASSM) and 1991 to 1992 (wood sampling). Finds in the Musée des Docks Romains and the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille; site in a protected no-diving zone of the Calanques National Park.
Sources atlaspalm.fr · blog.francis-leguen.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Britain
Blackfriars Ship I Collision
2nd century AD · River Thames at Blackfriars, City of London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge
The ship Romano-British seagoing sailing barge, flat-bottomed, frame-first, Roman Britain
Size 52 to 55 ft long, 6 m wide
Laden with 26 tons of Kentish ragstone, the ship listed to port and sank, probably after a collision with another vessel. A bronze coin of Domitian had been placed in the mast step for luck.
Why she is remembered Described as the earliest known indigenous seagoing sailing ship found in northern Europe.
The wreck today Found on 6 September 1962 by Peter Marsden during embankment works.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Republic (cargo from the Naples region)
Grand Congloué 1 Reef and rocks
About 200 to 190 BC · Foot of the Grand Congloué islet, Riou archipelago, south of Marseille, France (Mediterranean), 32 to 45 m deep
The ship Ancient Roman Republican merchant ship (wine and pottery carrier), Roman Republic (cargo from the Naples region)
Probably sailing from the Naples region toward Massalia (Marseille), she was wrecked at the foot of a dangerous reef. She carried about 400 Greco-Italic wine amphoras, some 30 to 40 Greek (Rhodian) amphoras and about 7,000 pieces of black-gloss Campanian A pottery; one amphora bears the stamp TI.Q.IVENT(I).
Why she is remembered Excavated from 1952 to 1957 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau's Calypso team under Professor Fernand Benoît, one of the first underwater archaeological excavations in history, which pioneered the suction airlift. For decades it was thought to be one ship; in 1987 Luc Long showed that two wrecks lay one above the other.
The wreck today Excavated; finds in the Musée des Docks Romains and the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille, with DRASSM as conservation depot. The site lies in the 'Cousteau triangle' in the Calanques National Park, a zone closed to diving except by special permit.
Sources differ Greek amphoras given as about 40 or about 30.
Sources atlaspalm.fr · blog.francis-leguen.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Iron Age Scandinavia
Nydam Boat Never lost at sea
Deposited as a votive offering after AD 310 to 320, within the bog's votive period of AD 200 to 400 · Nydam Bog, near Oster Sottrup, Sundeved, Denmark
The ship Clinker-built oak rowing ship, 14 pairs of oars, Iron Age Scandinavia
Built Dendro dated to AD 310 to 320
Size 23 m long, about 3.5 m wide, over three tonnes; crew about 45
Not lost at sea: the boat was deliberately sunk in a bog as an offering to the Germanic gods.
Why she is remembered A rare Iron Age rowing ship of the North, lost to Denmark after war: after the 1864 war it passed to Prussia, and a second pine boat was chopped up for firewood by troops.
The wreck today Excavated by Conrad Engelhardt in 1859 to 1863 (found 17 August 1863); displayed at Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, Germany.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Yassi Ada 4th-century wreck Reef and rocks
4th century AD · Yassi Ada islet near Bodrum, Turkey, Aegean; 36 to 42 m deep
The ship Late Roman (early Byzantine) merchant ship
Size 19 m long; cypress hull, white oak keel
A merchant ship carrying about 1,100 amphorae of three types was wrecked on the reef at Yassi Ada.
Why she is remembered One of the early wrecks excavated by George Bass, part of the reef's long sequence of wrecks.
The wreck today Excavated 1967 and 1969 by George Bass with the University of Pennsylvania Museum and National Geographic Society; finds at Bodrum Castle.
Sources differ The cause is inferred from the reef location.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Pre-Roman Iron Age Scandinavia
Hjortspring boat Never lost at sea
Radiocarbon dated 381 to 161 BC · Hjortspring Mose bog, island of Als, Sonderjylland, southern Denmark
The ship Sewn-plank war canoe, Pre-Roman Iron Age Scandinavia
Size Over 19 m overall, 13.6 m inside, 2 m wide, about 530 kg
Not lost at sea: the boat was deliberately sunk in a bog as an offering, with sacrificed animals and a large deposit of weapons, including 131 shields, 138 iron spearheads and 11 swords.
Why she is remembered The oldest wooden plank ship found in Scandinavia; a full-size reconstruction, Tilia Alsie, was launched in 1999.
The wreck today Excavated 1921 to 1922; held by the National Museum of Denmark.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Knud Winckelmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Byzantine Empire
Yenikapı shipwrecks (Theodosian Harbour), principally Yenikapı 12 Other causes
5th to 11th centuries AD (individual losses at different dates) · Theodosian Harbour (Harbour of Theodosius), Yenikapı quarter, historic peninsula of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Sea of Marmara (now on land)
The ship Group of 37 Byzantine wrecks: 23 merchant ships of various sizes and 4 galleys among them; Yenikapı 12 is a small coastal merchantman with a single mast and lateen sail, Byzantine Empire
Built 5th to 11th centuries AD; Yenikapı 12 dated to the 9th century (radiocarbon AD 672 to 876)
Size Yenikapı 12 about 9.60 m long and 2.60 m wide (7 m preserved); the largest, Yenikapı 22, about 14 m by 3.4 m
The ships sank or were abandoned over several centuries in the Theodosian Harbour of Constantinople, which slowly silted up and was buried. They were brought to light by salvage excavations of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums in the Yenikapı quarter from 2004 to 2013. Yenikapı 12 still held her cargo of amphoras and the captain's personal belongings.
Why she is remembered The largest collection of medieval ships ever found at a single site, transforming knowledge of Byzantine shipbuilding, including the first Byzantine galleys. Istanbul University studied 27 of the wrecks and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology 8.
The wreck today Excavated 2004 to 2013; timbers conserved with PEG and freeze-drying at Istanbul University's research centre. A full-scale replica of Yenikapı 12 was planned (launch planned for 2015) and an exhibition of the ship was in preparation.
Sources differ Total given as 37 wrecks (most sources) or 36 wrecks of the 5th to 10th centuries (one Istanbul University paper).
Sources academia.edu
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Kingdom of East Anglia
Sutton Hoo ship Never lost at sea
Buried 610 to 635 · Mound 1, Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England
The ship Anglo-Saxon clinker-built rowing ship, burial ship (Mound 1), Kingdom of East Anglia
Size 27 m long, 4.4 m beam; about 40 oars
Not lost at sea: the ship was dragged inland and buried with rich grave goods, probably for King Raedwald of East Anglia.
Why she is remembered A famous Anglo-Saxon royal ship burial; the 1939 dig is the subject of the 2021 film The Dig.
The wreck today Excavated in 1939 by Basil Brown, then Charles Phillips. The wood had rotted away, leaving an impression and rivets. Treasures at the British Museum; a full-size replica is being built.
Sources differ Raedwald is favoured; the British Museum says only a king of East Anglia.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Yassi Ada 7th-century Byzantine wreck Reef and rocks
About AD 625 · Yassi Ada reef near Bodrum, Turkey, Aegean; 32 to 39 m deep, partly lying over an older wreck
The ship Byzantine merchant ship
Size About 21 m long
A Byzantine trading ship carrying about 900 pitch-lined amphorae of wine sank on the reef, coming to rest partly over an older wreck. A steelyard is inscribed with the name of her captain, Georgios, described as a priest. She had a tiled galley with a chimney and a crew of perhaps four or five.
Why she is remembered Her hull shows a transitional stage between shell-first and skeleton-first construction; excavated by George Bass in the early years of nautical archaeology.
The wreck today Found by Kemal Aras; excavated 1961 to 1964 under George Bass of the University of Pennsylvania, in 3,533 dives. A reconstruction is shown at Bodrum Castle (Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology).
Sources differ The cause is inferred from the reef location. The Institute of Nautical Archaeology dates the wreck to AD 625; Wikipedia gives the 7th century.
Sources Wikipedia · nauticalarch.org
Image: Georges Jansoone (JoJan), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Precolonial Philippines (Butuan)
Butuan boats (balangays) Other causes
7th to 10th centuries AD (AMS radiocarbon 689 to 988) · Near the Masao River, Butuan, Agusan del Norte, Philippines
The ship Lashed-lug plank boats (balangay), Precolonial Philippines (Butuan)
Size Typically 10 to 11.5 m long, about 4 m wide; Butuan Boat 9, the 'mother boat', about twice that size
Trading boats of the precolonial port of Butuan were left in the river silts, together with trade goods from East and Southeast Asia and as far as Persia.
Why she is remembered Declared National Cultural Treasures in 1987; the balangay was named the National Boat of the Philippines in 2015. Replicas such as Diwata ng Lahi sailed around Southeast Asia in 2009 to 2011.
The wreck today Nine boats found by treasure hunters in the late 1970s, at least eleven since; Boats 1 and 5 shown at the National Museum in Butuan and Boat 2 kept at the National Museum of Anthropology, Manila.
Sources differ Radiocarbon dates from the 1970s and 1980s were unreliable and have been superseded.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Saint Gervais II wreck Other causes
7th century AD (coin of 611 to 612) · Off Fos-sur-Mer, France, Mediterranean
The ship Merchant ship, early example of frame-first construction
A ship carrying wheat in bulk and African spatheion amphorae sank off Fos; much of its cargo was salvaged at the time.
Why she is remembered Argued to be an early frame-first hull and to contain possibly the earliest bilge pump yet found.
The wreck today Found in 1978 during harbour dredging at Fos-sur-Mer.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Norway (start of the Viking Age)
Kvalsund ship Never lost at sea
Late 8th century · Kvalsund, Heroy, near Alesund, Norway
The ship Rowing ship, Norway (start of the Viking Age)
Built About AD 780 to 800
Size 18 m long
Not lost at sea: the ship was deliberately broken and placed in a pond or bog as an offering, with a smaller 9.5 m rowing boat.
Why she is remembered A transitional vessel between pre-Viking rowing ships and Viking Age sailing ships.
The wreck today Found in a marsh in June 1920; held by the Sunnmore Museum, Alesund.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Islandmen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Belitung shipwreck Other causes
About AD 830 · About 1.6 km off Belitung Island, Gelasa Strait, Indonesia, Java Sea; 17 m deep
The ship Arab dhow
Size About 18 m long, 6.4 m wide
An Arab ship returning from China towards the Middle East sank off Belitung carrying more than 60,000 objects, chiefly Tang dynasty ceramics including Changsha bowls, and gold and silver ware.
Why she is remembered The first ancient Arab ship found and excavated, evidence of direct sea trade between Arabia and Tang China. A reconstruction, the Jewel of Muscat, was built in Oman.
The wreck today Found by local fishermen in 1998 and salvaged by Tilman Walterfang's Seabed Explorations in 1998 and 1999. The Tang Treasure is shown at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore (Khoo Teck Puat Gallery, from 2015).
Sources differ Commercial salvage was criticised by archaeologists; the Smithsonian postponed a planned 2012 exhibition.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Viking Age Norway
Gokstad ship Never lost at sea
Buried about AD 900 (after 890) · Gokstad burial mound, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway
The ship Viking ship (karve), clinker built, burial ship, Viking Age Norway
Built Timber felled about AD 890
Size 23.80 m long, 5.10 m wide
Aboard Burial of a man aged 40 to 50, with horses, dogs, a peacock and three small boats
Not lost at sea: the ship was hauled ashore and buried in a mound as the grave of a high-status man. Anton Brogger suggested King Olaf Gudrodson; this is unproven.
Why she is remembered Called the finest and best preserved Viking longship; her replica Viking crossed the Atlantic to the 1893 Chicago exposition, and the replica Gaia sailed to North America in 1991.
The wreck today Found in 1880 by the farm owner's sons and excavated by Nicolay Nicolaysen. Displayed in the Viking Ship Museum, Bygdoy, Oslo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Karamell, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Viking Age Norway
Tune ship Never lost at sea
Buried about AD 900 · Haugen farm, Rolvsoy, Tune parish, Ostfold, Norway
The ship Viking ship (karve), burial ship, Viking Age Norway
Built About AD 900
Size About 18.7 m long, 4.2 m wide, keel about 14 m; 11 to 12 pairs of oars
Not lost at sea: the ship was buried in a mound as a grave, which had been robbed before it was excavated.
Why she is remembered One of the Viking burial ships displayed in Oslo alongside the Gokstad and Oseberg ships.
The wreck today Excavated in 1867 by Oluf Rygh; displayed at the Viking Ship Museum, Bygdoy, Oslo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: China Crisis, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Anglo-Saxon England (cross-Channel and North Sea trade)
Graveney Boat Other causes
Abandoned in the 10th century (exact date unknown) · Hammond's Drain, Graveney Marshes, near Faversham, Kent, England
The ship Anglo-Saxon clinker-built oak cargo boat, Anglo-Saxon England (cross-Channel and North Sea trade)
Built About AD 895 by dendrochronology (revised 1983, plus or minus 2 years); earlier dating gave AD 927 or AD 944
Size Original length estimated at 13.60 m (about 40 ft), beam 4 m (about 10 ft), about 1 m high amidships; surviving remains 8.9 m long, 3.4 m wide, up to 1.5 m high; capacity about 6 to 7 tonnes
A flat-keeled oak boat of eight strakes on ten frames, her overlapping planks held by iron rivets and caulked with wool treated with vegetable tar, she was used for coastal and cross-Channel trade. She ended her days in a silted watercourse in the Kent marshes, under about 2 metres of soil. Traces of her cargo included hops and fragments of Mayen lava querns from the Rhineland.
Why she is remembered Described as the only vessel of her kind to survive, she is a rare witness to late Anglo-Saxon seafaring and trade with the Rhineland. A half-length sailing replica, Ottor, built by Edwin Gifford in 1988, suggested a crew of about four.
The wreck today Found in 1970 during widening and deepening of Hammond's Drain; lifted in an urgent rescue by the National Maritime Museum, conserved and stabilised by the Mary Rose Trust, and held by the National Maritime Museum. The replica Ottor was donated to the Faversham Creek Trust in 2015.
Sources differ Build date about AD 895 (dendrochronology) versus AD 927 or AD 944 by other methods.
Sources mass.cultureelerfgoed.nl · gracesguide.co.uk · favershamcreektrust.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Intan wreck Other causes
Mid 10th century · Java Sea, about 40 nautical miles off Sumatra between Bangka and Jakarta, Indonesia; 26 m deep
The ship Indonesian lashed-lug ship
A Southeast Asian trading ship sank carrying Chinese ceramics, Thai pottery, bronze, tin, lead and silver ingots, gold jewellery, bronze religious objects, Arab glass and elephant tusks.
Why she is remembered A rich witness to the varied trade of tenth-century Indonesia, with goods from China, Thailand and the Arab world.
The wreck today Found by Indonesian fishermen; excavated in 1997 by an Indonesian licensee with Seabed Explorations, directed by Michael Flecker. Much of the cargo is on display at the Ceramics Museum, Jakarta.
Sources mdflecker.wixsite.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Viking Age Denmark
Ladby ship Never lost at sea
Buried early 10th century · Ladby, near Kerteminde, north-east Funen, Denmark
The ship Viking ship burial, Viking Age Denmark
Not lost at sea: a chieftain was buried in his ship with eleven horses, dogs and grave goods; the grave was later broken into and damaged.
Why she is remembered A Viking chieftain's ship grave with its grave goods and animals, now a museum site.
The wreck today Found on 28 February 1935 by pharmacist Poul Helweg Mikkelsen; displayed at the Viking Museum Ladby (Museums of Eastern Funen), with a full-scale reconstruction since 2007.
Sources differ The damage is explained either as a conversion to Christian burial or as political desecration, perhaps by Harald Bluetooth or Sweyn Forkbeard.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks
Cirebon shipwreck Other causes
About AD 970 (from coins) · Java Sea, about 100 km off Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia; about 54 m deep
The ship Western Austronesian (Southeast Asian) trading ship
Built Probably near the Strait of Malacca
Size About 30 m long
A much repaired Southeast Asian ship sank in the Java Sea carrying Five Dynasties Chinese ceramics, Near Eastern glass, gems and metal ingots.
Why she is remembered A key witness to tenth-century Maritime Silk Road trade.
The wreck today Found by fishermen in 2003; salvaged by a private company 2004 to 2006. Indonesia kept 10% of the 76,000 intact artefacts for its museums and the rest went to auction in 2006.
Sources differ About 250,000 artefacts recovered in total versus 76,000 intact pieces; archaeologists opposed the sale.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Byzantine
Serce Limani shipwreck (Glass Wreck) Storm
About AD 1025 · Serce Limani bay, south-west Turkey opposite Rhodes, Mediterranean; 36 34 25 N 28 03 08 E
The ship Small two-masted lateen-rigged merchant ship, Byzantine
Size About 15 m long, 5.3 m wide
A Byzantine trader carrying about three tons of Islamic glass cullet from the Fatimid Syrian coast, glazed bowls and spices lost its anchor when the iron shank snapped in a sudden gale, drifted and sank on the rocky shore.
Why she is remembered Famous for its tons of Islamic glass, a rare picture of trade between the Fatimid Levant and Byzantium.
The wreck today Found by Donald Frey; excavated 1977 to 1979 by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology; work resumed in July 2023. Glass displayed at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Viking Age Denmark
Roskilde 6 Other causes
11th century · Roskilde, Denmark
The ship Viking longship (warship), Viking Age Denmark
Built About 1025
Size About 37 m long
One of nine ships, mostly dated 1060 to 1350, found at Roskilde in excavations of the late 1990s.
Why she is remembered The longest Viking ship ever found.
The wreck today Excavated in the late 1990s in what the museum calls the largest such find of ships in northern Europe; held by the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Medieval Netherlands
Utrecht ship Never lost at sea
Early 11th century · Van Hoornekade, northern Utrecht, Netherlands
The ship Early medieval cargo vessel, Medieval Netherlands
Built Between 997 and 1030 (dendrochronology), local oak
Size 17.8 m long, 3.8 m wide, 0.7 m draught; about 13 tons
A cargo ship built around the year 1000 was buried in the ground of northern Utrecht, where it was found in 1930.
Why she is remembered A key find for early medieval ship types in the Low Countries; first mistaken for a Roman ship.
The wreck today Found on 3 December 1930; on public display since 1936, now in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht.
Sources differ Excavators first believed it was Roman; tree-ring analysis in the late 1950s showed it was medieval.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: TijsB, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Anglo-Norman (Kingdom of England and Duchy of Normandy)
White Ship Reef and rocks
25 November 1120 · Quilleboeuf rock off Barfleur, Normandy, English Channel
The ship Sailing ship, newly refitted, Anglo-Norman (Kingdom of England and Duchy of Normandy)
Aboard About 300
Lives lost All but one; the single survivor was Berold, a butcher of Rouen
Captain Thomas FitzStephen offered his ship to Henry I. With crew and young nobles drinking, the captain tried to overtake the king's ship at night; the port side struck the submerged Quilleboeuf rock and she capsized.
Why she is remembered The death of William Adelin, Henry I's only legitimate son, caused the succession crisis that led to the civil war called the Anarchy (1138 to 1153). It appears in Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth and in poems by Rossetti and others.
The wreck today Never found.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, for the Corporation of the City of London, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Denmark (built of south Jutland oak)
Kollerup cog Other causes
12th century (after about 1150) · Kollerup Strand, Vigsø Bay, north Jutland, Denmark, about 125 km southwest of Skagen; now in a silted-up area
The ship Early medieval cog (clinker sided, flat-bottomed trading ship with stern rudder), Denmark (built of south Jutland oak)
Built Timber felled about 1150 (dendrochronology)
Size About 20 to 21 m (69 ft) long, 4.5 m (14 3/4 ft) wide
Built of south Jutland oak with tangentially cut planks, iron fastenings, moss caulking and a stern rudder, she combined cog features with traits of Norse shipbuilding. Pottery from Schinveld and Blussum (as given by MASS) and Rhineland slate show she had traded in the Low Countries before she stranded at Kollerup.
Why she is remembered One of the oldest known cogs, seen as a 'missing link' in the development of the ship type that carried Hanseatic trade. She was the model for a near full-scale reconstruction at the European Hansemuseum in Lübeck.
The wreck today Found and investigated on land in 1978; curated by the Thisted Museum.
Sources differ First dated to the 13th century, later redated to about 1150 by dendrochronology. Length about 20 m (abc.se) versus 21 m (MASS).
Sources mass.cultureelerfgoed.nl · abc.se
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Song China
Quanzhou ship Scuttled
About 1275 (a few years after 1272, from coins) · Houzhou harbour, Quanzhou Bay, Fujian, China
The ship Three-masted Chinese seagoing junk with 13 compartments, Song China
Size 34.6 m long, 9.82 m beam
A merchant junk returning from Southeast Asia with incense wood, pepper, ambergris, frankincense, mercury and cowries was lost at Quanzhou, likely scuttled by its crew as the Southern Song fell to the Mongols.
Why she is remembered A key example of Song dynasty seagoing shipbuilding, with 13 internal compartments, and of the incense and spice trade into Quanzhou.
The wreck today Found in 1973 and excavated in summer 1974 under Zhuang Weiji of Xiamen University. Displayed in the ancient ships pavilion of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum at Kaiyuan Temple.
Sources differ Scuttling is a likely explanation, not a certainty.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Meckleychina, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Yuan China (with Korean Goryeo contingent)
Mongol invasion fleet wrecks at Takashima (Takashima Kozaki site) Storm
15 August 1281 · Off Takashima island, Imari Bay, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
The ship Yuan dynasty warships and transports, Yuan China (with Korean Goryeo contingent)
Size One warship keel about 12 m long, suggesting a ship about 20 m long
Lives lost Heavy and disputed: Yuan records suggest 60 to 90% losses; Korean records say 7,592 of 26,989 Koreans in the Eastern Route fleet did not return
During Kublai Khan's second invasion of Japan a typhoon, the kamikaze, struck the fleet at anchor from the west and destroyed much of it.
Why she is remembered The origin of the 'divine wind' legend in Japan; finds include ceramic bombs filled with gunpowder and scrap iron.
The wreck today Excavated since 1980 by teams led by the University of the Ryukyus; a 384,000 square metre area of seabed was designated a National Historic Site in 2012, the first underwater site so designated in Japan. A first hull from the 1281 fleet was found in 2011; a second, about 65 ft by 20 ft with Chinese ceramics and ironware, was found in 2015 by the University of the Ryukyus and Matsuura City Board of Education under Yoshifumi Ikeda.
Sources differ Casualty totals vary widely between Yuan, Korean and Chinese survivor accounts. The site article names Ryukoku and Ryukyu universities in different places.
Sources Wikipedia · archaeology.org
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Yuan China
Shinan ship Other causes
About 1323 · Near Imjado, Shinan islands, South Korea, Yellow Sea; about 20 m deep
The ship Chinese cargo ship (also called the Sinan wreck), Yuan China
Size 32 m long, 10 m wide, about 3.5 m deep, about 200 tons capacity
A Yuan dynasty ship sailing from Ningbo to Hakata in Japan, with goods for temples and shrines in Kyoto and Hakata, sank off south-west Korea with more than 20,000 ceramics, 28 tons of Chinese coins and red sandalwood.
Why she is remembered South Korea's first underwater excavation and at the time described as perhaps the richest ancient shipwreck found.
The wreck today Ceramics brought up in a fishing net on 25 August 1975; excavated 1976 to 1984. Displayed by the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, Mokpo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Garycycles, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Kingdom of England
Grace Dieu Fire
1439 · River Hamble at Bursledon, near Southampton, England
The ship Clinker-built great ship, royal flagship of Henry V, Kingdom of England
Built Launched 1418 at a purpose-built dock near Town Quay, Southampton; designed by William Soper
Size 218 ft long, 50 ft beam; estimates 1,400 to 2,750 tons
Built to overpower Genoese carracks, she made only one voyage, in 1420, troubled by mutiny. Laid up in the Hamble, she was struck by lightning in 1439 and burned to the waterline.
Why she is remembered Henry V's great flagship, described as comparable in size to HMS Victory and twice the size of the Mary Rose.
The wreck today Remains lie in the Hamble mud at Bursledon; designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act in 1974; surveyed by the National Maritime Museum (1980s) and the University of Southampton.
Sources differ Tonnage estimates range from 1,400 to 2,750 tons.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Built in the Basque Country; worked the Atlantic trade
Newport Ship Other causes
About 1468 · West bank of the River Usk, Newport, Wales
The ship Clinker-built sailing merchant ship, Built in the Basque Country; worked the Atlantic trade
Built About 1449 timber; built just after winter 1457 to 1458, Basque region of northern Spain
Size About 35 m long, 8.2 m wide, about 161 tons burden
After less than ten years of service the ship was in Newport for repair when her supporting cradle collapsed and she heeled onto her starboard side, and was abandoned.
Why she is remembered A rare 15th-century Basque-built merchant ship; local campaigning secured her full recovery.
The wreck today Found in June 2002 during building of the Riverfront Arts Centre; all timbers raised and conserved in Newport with PEG and freeze-drying (about 60% freeze-dried by 2019), awaiting reassembly and display.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Owain, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Spain (Castile)
Santa Maria Reef and rocks
Also known as La Gallega
Ran aground 24 December 1492, sank 25 December 1492 · Near Cap-Haitien, Hispaniola (Haiti)
The ship Carrack (nao), Spain (Castile)
Built Pontevedra, Galicia, 1460
Size About 108 tons burden; hull about 19 m, keel 12.6 m, beam 5.5 m
Aboard About 40 crew
Lives lost None recorded
Columbus's flagship, owned and mastered by Juan de la Cosa, was carried by currents onto a sandbank at night while a cabin boy steered. She could not be saved and her timbers built the fort of La Navidad.
Why she is remembered Flagship of Columbus's first voyage to the Americas; many replicas have been built, including one for the 1893 Chicago fair and a seagoing replica in 2018.
The wreck today Not found. Barry Clifford claimed the wreck in 2014, but UNESCO experts rejected it in October 2014. An anchor is in the national museum of Haiti.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Possibly by Edward H. Hart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Denmark and Norway (King Hans)
Gribshunden Explosion
June 1495 · At anchor near Ronneby, Blekinge, Sweden, Baltic Sea; about 10 m deep
The ship Carvel-built warship, royal flagship, Denmark and Norway (King Hans)
Built Probably Dutch yard; Meuse oak felled winter 1482 to 1483
Size Keel 25.5 m, about 32 m overall, beam about 8 m
Aboard Possibly up to 150
King Hans's flagship, en route to Kalmar for talks, suffered an explosion, burned and sank at anchor while the king was ashore.
Why she is remembered The oldest carvel hull in Nordic waters and an early gun-armed ship; her carved sea monster figurehead was raised in 2015.
The wreck today Located by a local diving club in the 1970s; investigated 2001 to 2012 and 2019 to 2022.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ishkabibble, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Portugal
Esmeralda Storm
May 1503 · Off Al Hallaniyah island, Oman, Arabian Sea
The ship Carrack (nau), Portugal
Lives lost Vicente and Bras Sodre died in the storm or soon after
Commanded by Vicente Sodre, Vasco da Gama's maternal uncle, the Esmeralda sailed in da Gama's 1502 armada to India and was lost off Oman in May 1503. Ignoring local advice, the Sodre brothers anchored the Esmeralda and Sao Pedro in a place exposed to the north wind and both ships were lost in a storm.
Why she is remembered Described in 2016 as the earliest ship of Europe's Age of Discovery yet found; finds include a mariner's astrolabe made about 1496 to 1501 and a ship's bell dated 1498.
The wreck today Site first located in 1998; found by Blue Water Recoveries; excavated 2013 to 2015 under David Mearns and David Parham (Bournemouth University) with the Omani government. No hull remains are documented. Finds held by the National Museum of Oman.
Sources differ Identification of the wreck as the Esmeralda rather than the Sao Pedro rests on finds and historical accounts.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Portugal
Bom Jesus Storm
1533 · Off Oranjemund, Namibia, Atlantic; 28 35 58 S 16 23 51 E
The ship Portuguese nau (Indiaman), Portugal
Leaving Lisbon on 7 March 1533 for India, she was driven too close to shore in a storm, struck a rock, heeled over and capsized on the Namibian coast.
Why she is remembered A rich early Portuguese India ship, with more than 2,159 coins (mostly Spanish), 1,845 copper ingots and 105 elephant tusks.
The wreck today Found on 1 April 2008 by De Beers worker Kaapanda Shadika during diamond mining operations; excavated with Dieter Noli and international teams. Finds kept in tanks in Oranjemund pending a museum.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Empire
Nemi ships Scuttled
Scuttled about AD 42, a year after Caligula's death in AD 41; destroyed by fire 31 May 1944 · Lake Nemi, Alban Hills, near Rome, Italy
The ship Two Roman ceremonial palace ships on a lake, Roman Empire
Built 1st century AD, for Emperor Caligula
Size Larger ship 73 m long, 24 m beam; smaller ship 70 m long, 20 m beam
Caligula's floating palaces, with marble, mosaics, heated baths and lead plumbing, were stripped, overballasted and deliberately sunk after his assassination. Raised when Mussolini had the lake drained (1928 to 1932), they were burned in May 1944 during fighting between Allied and German forces.
Why she is remembered Their recovered fittings revealed Roman bilge pumps and rotating platforms on bearings; both were lost to fire in 1944.
The wreck today First ship surfaced 28 March 1929, second by October 1932; museum opened January 1936. Only bronzes and charred timbers survived the 1944 fire. Museo delle Navi Romane at Nemi, reopened 1953, shows one-fifth scale models and finds.
Sources differ The 1944 fire was long blamed on German troops; a 2023 study by Altamura and Paolucci concludes Allied artillery fire was the only plausible cause.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Early Helladic Greece
Dokos shipwreck Other causes
About 2700 to 2200 BC · Off Dokos island, Aegean Sea, Greece; 15 to 30 m deep
The ship Early Bronze Age trading ship, Early Helladic Greece
A ship of the Early Helladic period sank off Dokos with more than 500 clay vessels, stone anchors, lead ingots and millstones.
Why she is remembered Described by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology as the oldest known underwater shipwreck yet found.
The wreck today Found on 23 August 1975 by Peter Throckmorton; excavated 1989 to 1992 by HIMA under George Papathanasopoulos. Finds at the Spetses Museum.
Sources differ Only the cargo and anchors survive; no hull remains are reported.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Bronze Age Britain
Ferriby boats (Ferriby 1, 2 and 3) Other causes
Early Bronze Age (abandoned on the foreshore; exact dates unknown) · North Ferriby, Humber foreshore, East Yorkshire, England
The ship Bronze Age sewn-plank boats, Bronze Age Britain
Built Radiocarbon: Ferriby 1, 1880 to 1680 BC; Ferriby 2, 1940 to 1720 BC; Ferriby 3, 2030 to 1780 BC
Size Each almost 16 m long with a maximum beam of about 2.5 m
Three boats of oak planks sewn together with withies, caulked with moss, with a keel strake formed by box scarfing and stiffened by cleats and ribs, were left on the Humber shore in the Bronze Age. River erosion exposed the first in 1937; the second was found in 1940 and excavated in 1946, and the third found in 1963, all by Ted Wright, who had watched the site with his brother Christopher.
Why she is remembered Declared Europe's earliest seacraft in March 2001, they show that Bronze Age people built planked boats capable of coastal and sea trade. A full-size experimental reconstruction of Ferriby 3, Morgawr, was built at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and launched at Falmouth in 2013.
The wreck today Ferriby 1 and 2 are at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; Ferriby 3 is in the Hull Museums collection (Hull and East Riding Museum).
Sources differ Stitching described as yew withies (Humber Museums, Morgawr project) versus willow withy (Hull Museums). Early radiocarbon dating in 1958 gave 750 BC plus or minus 150, later revised. Ferriby 3 also given as about 1900 BC.
Sources hullmuseums.co.uk · museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk · humbermuseums.com · thehistoryblog.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Greek
Gela II Other causes
Sixth to fifth century BC · About 1,000 ft off the coast of Gela, southern Sicily, Mediterranean; about 10 ft deep
The ship Ancient Greek merchant ship, Greek
Size About 50 ft long, 16 ft wide
A Greek trading ship sank off Gela with ingots of a copper and zinc alloy identified as orichalcum, Corinthian helmets, amphorae and pottery.
Why she is remembered Its orichalcum ingots, the legendary 'Atlantis metal', were described by Sebastiano Tusa as unlike anything found before.
The wreck today Found in 1980 near Bulala; expeditions in 2015 and 2017 recovered 86 ingots in total. Recovery by the Superintendence of the Sea of the Sicilian Region was under way in 2024, with finds destined for the Archaeological Park of Gela. Finds from the nearby Gela I wreck are at the Bosco Littorio museum.
Sources differ Archaeology (2015) dates the wreck to the first half of the 6th century BC, 39 ingots found in 2015, at 10 ft depth about 1,000 ft offshore; Archaeology Magazine (2024) calls it 5th century BC and gives 1,000 ft as its depth.
Sources archaeology.org · archaeologymag.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.
Ancient and Medieval Wrecks · Roman Empire
Herculaneum boat Never lost at sea
AD 79, eruption of Vesuvius · Ancient beach of Herculaneum (Ercolano), Bay of Naples, Italy (buried under volcanic deposits)
The ship Roman rowing boat (two rows of rowers, three each side), possibly military, Roman Empire
Built Oak, fir and chestnut construction
Size About 9 m long, 2.2 m wide
The boat was overwhelmed on the shore of Herculaneum by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 and buried under volcanic material, close to the vaults where about 300 residents died while trying to escape. The Archaeological Park suggests she may have been a military vessel trying to bring help to the town.
Why she is remembered A rare complete Roman boat carbonised in place, with traces of the cinnabar red paint on her bow still visible, forever linked to the last hours of Herculaneum.
The wreck today Recovered on 3 August 1982; the carbonised hull is displayed in the Boat Pavilion of the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, with oars, nets, anchors and amphoras.
Sources ercolano.cultura.gov.it · seepompeii.com
No free image of this ship has been found yet.