Unexpectedly discovered boat 'stitching' 2,000 years old underground

The wooden boat is 5 meters long, 1.7 meters wide, has a sail and is made using ancient stitching techniques.

The place where the 2,000 year old wooden boat was discovered was once an ancient pier. (Photo: Ancient Origins).

Elena Uljancic, director of the National Porec Museum, and scientists announced the results of a 2,000-year-old wooden boat study found in the city of Porec, Istria Peninsula, on April 27. It was made using stitching techniques that were common in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. This is the third boat of this type to be found on the Istria peninsula and the first in Porec. The other two boats are in Pula.

"This is a Roman sailed boat from the 1st century . The suture technique existed from the earlier period, during the Histra. One of the oldest boats of this type was discovered in Zambratija, Umag town. The Porec boat is one of the three found on land, not due to underwater exploration, " said Bartolic Sirotic, an archaeologist from Porec City Museum.

The boat is kept in good condition. (Photo: Ancient Origins).

"The new discovery is remarkable because the boat is well-preserved and has many less visible parts. It still retains the frame, the ribs and the boat's life. In the coming years, we can roughly reconstruct the structure of the it, " added Sirotic.

The wooden boat is the largest archaeological discovery in 30 years in this area. It is 5 meters long, 1.7 meters wide and has a sail. The boat is located quite deep underground so oxygen is not absorbed. The surrounding thick mud layer also plays an important role in protecting it.

"All of the above factors saved the boat, preventing it from being destroyed. We're conducting research. Every stitch is recorded. In stitching techniques, ropes are tied together and pierce the holes in the planks, then add the wood nails , " Sirotic explained.

 Wooden boats are made by ancient stitching techniques. (Photo: Croatia Week).

Porec was once an ancient residential community. Previous studies have helped to depict this area in the past, with its low ground and deeper edge than it is today. The 2,000-year-old wooden boat's spot was an old pier.

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