Estimated to be around 2,000 years old, the recently discovered wreck of a luxury pleasure barge lies submerged under the green waters of Alexandria, Egypt, as do many other royal vessels from this time period; however, this particular ship sank near the island of Antirhodos.
The dimensions of the ship are approximately 35 metres in length and seven metres in beam, which fit very closely with descriptions from ancient Greek writers on luxury vessels known as thalamagos. It was built during the first half of the first century AD, and as such, contained a large central pavilion and an opulently furnished main cabin. Such a vessel would have required at least 20 rowers to navigate the shallow marginal waters of the eastern Mediterranean.
The excitement associated with this discovery comes from the way it connects literature with wood. In his writings, Strabo describes luxury boats that were submerged in the sea in ancient times. He explains how at night festivals, they had music and dance. Luxury boats are depicted as made by artists, with the Palestrina mosaic and others cited as examples of how the artistic community viewed them. Similarly, there is a direct correlation between the construction methods and materials used to construct these types of boats. Previous sources of information about these types of vessels were either pictures etched into stone or sketches drawn on paper. Therefore, this particular boat represents the most conclusive proof of how an actual finished product will appear when it is fully constructed, depending on the type of material used and the manner of construction.
Additionally, this site has only 7 metres of water above it and is covered by a thin layer of sediment. This shallow depth is what preserved the timbers of this shipwreck, making this shipwreck an extremely valuable archaeological finding. The wreck of this ship was found by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), directed by Franck Goddio. The archaeologists that found this shipwreck used a technique known as 3D photogrammetry, which allows for extremely detailed digital images to be made of fragile structures without having to haul them away from their underwater sites. Due to many international conservation laws and prioritisation over long-term preservation, the boat will be left mostly at the site of the wreck for now. A few examples of materials have been, or will eventually be, brought up for further research, but there is no timeframe to bring this ship to the surface, because the archaeologists will be documenting and archiving everything that is being done to preserve it digitally while leaving it in situ.
Citadel experts believe this barge fulfilled many purposes at once: perhaps as a luxurious pleasure yacht used for the enjoyment of the very wealthy; perhaps it served as a ceremonial vessel that would have played an important part in the rites of Isis (the Navigium Isidis Processions were very well-known throughout the Mediterranean); or it could have functioned as a royal barge used to display the king and queen and for her/his diplomatic missions. Regardless of its purpose, the remains of the barge offer a unique, physical representation of the interplay between leisure, ritual, and marine building techniques in Egypt, an area where the cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome intersected.
However, the remaining woodwork leaves many unanswered questions: Who were the individuals sitting beneath the tent? What kind of music did they play? What is the connection between the letters contained within each of the inscriptions? Many of the answers to these questions should be found over time through scientific testing of the remains, careful examination of the inscriptions, and high-resolution imaging of the wreck that will help inform the public about the wonderful experience that has been preserved in an aquatic environment.
