Marine archaeologists will recover a more than 3200-year-old hand-sewn boat from the bottom of the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Zambratija in Croatia.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is undertaking the project to raise the artefact in collaboration with a museum in Pula, south of the vessel’s location.
The “Zambratija boat” in Croatia has stood the test of time, with seven of its 12 metres still being remarkably well preserved, the CNRS has said.
“Dated to be somewhere between the end of the 10th and 12th centuries BC, it is the oldest entirely hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean.
"This wreck – a rare example of the ancient shipbuilding tradition of Istria and Dalmatia – will be studied in detail by a Franco-Croatian team from the Centre Camille Jullian (CNRS/AMU) and the Archaeological Museum of Istria," it said.
A team of divers will start removing sections of the boat in the bay of Zambratija from 2 July.
"Once the pieces have been removed and placed in bespoke support, the scientists will reconstruct the boat in 3D and precisely determine its construction date, identify the fibres used for sewing, and study the techniques used to shape the wood," the CNRS said.
"Handling relics of this calibre is a delicate affair. Therefore, every stage of the process will require the utmost care."
Once the analyses have been completed, the ancient vessel and its components will be desalted in Croatia before heading to Grenoble in 2024, where Arc-Nucléart, a centre for the preservation of cultural heritage, will embark on a restoration project.
"It is hoped that the fully restored boat will one day be exhibited in a new museum dedicated to Istria's naval maritime heritage in Pula, Croatia," the CNRS said.
