Maritime Archaeology
This article takes a look at the the Levanzo I wreck, discovered by RPM Nautical Foundation in 2006. Described here is the discovery of the wrecksite, its location, its condition and the condition of the artifacts–with a particular focus on the destructive influence of dragnets–as well as the excavation of the site in 2009. Download the Article to …
In Distress: Rescuing a Roman Merchantmen 1700 Years LaterRead More
The Archaeology of Three Wrecks from Turkey During surveys in the Rhodian Straits in 2005–06, the staff of the RPM Nautical Foundation discovered three deepwater wrecks which reflect elements of the transition from late medieval to early modern seafaring. The assemblages, and their plotting on site-plans generated from photographic evidence, point to the finding of …
At the Transition from Late Medieval to Early ModernRead More
In Albania With the RPM Nautical Foundation This article details RPMNF’s survey work along the Albanian coast in conjunction with the Albanian Institute of Archaeology, the Albanian Ministry of Defense, and INA. The goal of the surveys is search for shipwrecks and other submerged sites–history that would be otherwise lost. Described here is the incident …
Archaeological Identification of the Bow of HMS Volage Sunk During the Corfu Channel Incident of October 22, 1946 Introduction Following the Second World War, Britain asserted that the Corfu Channel, a narrow seaway separating the island of Corfu from the Albanian coast, was an international strait. Albania, at that time a Communist State under the …
Overview Fieldwork along the eastern Adriatic coast in 2009 marked the initial campaign conducted and coordinated under the research initiative of the Illyrian Coastal Exploration Program (ICEP). The goals of the program, introduced in this publication (Royal 2009), are to bring together numerous research institutes in an effort to investigate the eastern Adriatic coast. At the …
Illyrian Coastal Exploration Program The 2009 CampaignRead More
Since 2005, RPM Nautical Foundation (RPMNF) and the Superintendent’s Office of Underwater Archaeology in Sicily (Ufficio di Soprintendenza del Mare) have conducted a survey of coastal waters off the NW Sicilian coast. Over these past years, several areas have undergone intensive multibeam survey with ROV verification of anomalies (Figure 1). Efforts around the island of …
Their Implications for Maritime History in the Eastern Mediterranean Abstract: This paper summarises findings from three recently investigated Renaissance wrecks in deepwater discovered in the Straits of Rhodes and interprets them in the context of that fast-changing world. Taken together, these vessels of different type provide insight into the maritime infrastructure of European mercantile trade …
This article in the July 2009 issue of Archaeology magazine summarized the important research and diving expeditions being conducted by RPM Nautical Foundation in the waters along the Albania’s coastline. Most of the finds consist of Corinthian goods from Greek transport ships which sank in route to their destinations on the Adriatic coast. Download the …
Exploring History in the Mediterranean Much of the equipment utilized by RPMNF has long been featured in the efforts of ocean-based industries, such as multibeam echo sounders, ROVs, beacon positioning systems, and vessels with dynamic positioning. It is the combination of these technologies that has proved successful. By the end of 2003, after years of …
Warship ram discovered…an ancient naval battle revealed? This article describes a bronze warship ram discovered during RPM Nautical Foundation’s 2008 research expedition in Sicily. This find was of particular importance because it provided the first affirmation that the final battle of the First Punic War likely took place at this site (near Lavanzo Island). The ram …
During the summer of 2006, the RPM Nautical Foundation carried out extensive surveys along the coasts of Turkey, Sicily, and Malta; work continued in Sicily during the 2007 field season. The goal was to document all submerged cultural resources from as near shore as feasible to the 100 m contour. Documentation for each site included …
Implications for the Interpretation of Nearby Sites During underwater survey around Crotone, Calabria, Italy, in 2005, structures from two harbour phases were located, possibly dating from the Archaic Greek and Roman periods. Both harbours are close to the Greek and Roman architectural remains on Capo Colonna, as well as to underwater deposits of large stone …
