Raport arheologic: Epava Rusu/județul: Constanța/punct: Epava Rusu (2016)

In March 2016 a Roman shipwreck was discovered off Romania coast in shallow water near Gura Portiței (Romanian Black Sea shelf, in the coastal waters of Tulcea district). The project was co-ordinated by the ICEM Tulcea in collaboration with Bayerische Gesellschaft für Unterwasserarchäologie from München-Kempten and the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München. The survey undertaken in autumn focused on the evaluation of side scan results, measurements and photo-grammetry, typological classification of the amphorae cargo as well as a radiocarbon analysis of the timber frame. The wreck represents a mid-sized Roman cargo vessel of about 20 metres in length and 5 metres in width built for shipping wine amphoras. First rough calculations led to a total number of more than 1000 of the so-called ‘narrow-neck’ (Shelov C) amphoras mostly in good preservation status. The good preservation was also documented for the wooden remains (especially for the frames), although first alarming signs of damage by the shipworm Teredo navalis L. already has been noticed. Eight ribs rise out of the seabed. The grinding stones discovered in spring, are no longer visible. By now the dolium is significantly more severely damaged, alike with other amphoras in the bow section. The mast has a diameter of 53 cm and is also damaged by Teredo navalis L., which is shown in his less elevation, compared to March this year. All in all, the classification of the amphora types as well as the radiocarbon analysis yielded a dating to the middle of the 2nd century AD.