A 2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck in Croatia has revealed new details about how ancient sailors protected, repaired, and maintained ships that crossed the Adriatic Sea, with new evidence pointing to Greek influence in shipbuilding techniques.
The study, led by Armelle Charrie-Duhaut and published in Frontiers in Materials, examined the Ilovik-Paržine 1 wreck off Ilovik Island in Croatia. Researchers focused on the dark waterproof coating still preserved on parts of the ship’s hull.
The wreck dates to around 170 B.C. It was found in Paržine Bay, about 30 meters (98.4 feet) from shore and 4 meters (13.1 feet) below the surface. Archaeologists first identified the site in 2016. Later excavations uncovered amphora fragments, ballast stones, cargo logs, and wooden hull remains.
The ship was built with mortise-and-tenon joints, a common ancient method that locked wooden planks together. But the new study looked beyond the wood. It focused on the sticky coating used to seal and protect the vessel.
Ancient coating protected the hull
Researchers analyzed 10 coating samples from different parts of the ship. They used chemical tests and pollen analysis to study what the material was made of and where it may have come from.
The results showed that most samples contained pitch, a tar-like substance made by heating conifer wood or resin. Ancient shipbuilders used pitch because it helped keep water out. It also protected the hull from the harsh marine environment.
One sample stood out. It contained pitch mixed with beeswax. This mixture made the coating more flexible and easier to apply when heated. It also improved water resistance. Researchers said the mixture matched an ancient coating known from classical sources as “zopissa,” a blend linked to Greek shipbuilding traditions.
Pollen points to repairs and travel
The study also used pollen trapped inside the coating. Because pitch is sticky, it can preserve tiny traces of plants from the area where it was made or applied.
Those pollen grains offered clues about the ship’s movements. Some samples reflected Mediterranean forests, shrubland, wetlands, and coastal vegetation. Others pointed to environments linked to the eastern Adriatic and southern Italy.
The findings suggest the ship’s coating did not come from one single place. Instead, researchers identified four to five different coating batches across the wreck.
That pattern may show that the ship was repaired several times during its working life. It may also mean shipbuilders used materials from different sources during construction or refitting.
Link to Brindisi
Earlier analysis of the ship’s ballast stones suggested the vessel may have been built near Brundisium, now Brindisi, in southern Italy. The new coating study supports that possibility.
Several samples contained pollen patterns similar to areas in Apulia, the region around Brindisi. This suggests that some coating may have been produced or applied near the shipyard.
Other samples may point to later repairs along the Adriatic coast, including parts of Dalmatia or nearby regions.
A wider view of ancient seafaring
The study shows that waterproof coatings can reveal far more than shipbuilding techniques. They can also preserve evidence of trade routes, repair stops, and environmental settings.
For archaeologists, the Ilovik-Paržine 1 wreck offers a rare look at the practical life of an ancient vessel. It was not just built, launched, and lost. It was maintained, repaired, and adapted as it moved through different ports and waters.
Researchers said the combined use of chemical, pollen, and statistical analysis opens new ways to study ancient ships. The materials on the hull can help trace where a ship was built, where it traveled, and how sailors kept it seaworthy.
The Croatian wreck shows that even a thin layer of ancient pitch can hold a long record of human skill, maritime movement, and everyday repair work in the Roman Republican period.
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