The study, published today in Frontiers in Materials, describes how studying pollen trapped from a Roman shipwreck, designated Ilovic-Parzin 1, revealed the composition and origin of the waterproof coating material. Because organic materials easily decay over time, it was difficult for naval archaeologists to gain a full understanding of ancient shipbuilding techniques. To overcome these challenges, the team behind the study designed an interdisciplinary analysis combining archaeology, chemistry and palynology (the study of pollen grains).
The team not only confirmed the use of sophisticated waterproofing techniques by Roman shipbuilders, but also revealed how ships were constantly refurbished with more coating to make them last longer.
“This approach allows us to investigate possible variations related to functional or technological differences or even repair steps in the application of waterproofing materials,” study co-authors Armel Charry and Quentin Couillebault told Gizmodo in an email. The aim, he added, is to “generate more robust explanations and broaden the range of hypotheses”.
revisiting the wreck
Ilovik–Parzin 1 was initially discovered in 2016 and has been studied extensively since then. However, these investigations focused primarily on the ship’s structural design and age. According to the study, during these projects researchers observed a thick layer of organic adhesive coating on the exterior and interior of the hull.
“There is a growing interest in bioarchaeological materials, because they are rich in essential and unprecedented information,” said Charry and Queuillebault, bioarchaeologists at the University of Strasbourg and Aix-Marseille University in France, respectively. “They provide information on many domains, such as the dress, funerary practices, food, domestic life or manufacturing techniques of the studied population.”
But these organic substances rarely survive. The surviving coating therefore provided researchers with a rare, invaluable opportunity to study ship coatings, which Charry had previously examined in other shipwrecks.
pollen and zopissa
Speaking to Gizmodo, the researchers emphasized that different subjects played very specific roles in the study. Palynology, which looks for pollen grains trapped during the coating’s manufacturing or application process, indicated when and where waterproofing repairs took place. Chemical analysis confirmed the corresponding molecular fingerprint. zopissaA mixture of pine tar and wax, described by Pliny the Elder.
As a result, the team discovered a very sophisticated shipbuilding process. For example, zopissaThe inclusion of wax and tar improved the flexibility of the adhesive. Parag got stuck in the middle zopissa The layers were discovered in a high diversity of environments, from dense forests of holly oak, pine, olive, or hazel to alder and ash to areas near water. This supplemental information allowed the team to paint a complete picture of all the different places the ship might have traveled before its demise.
a record of sailors
Most importantly, these findings introduced the team to broader cultural practices in the region. The samples had four to five stages of coating, applied at different times and locations. This allowed researchers to reconstruct a viable navigation route around the Adriatic for the ship and even trace when and where it was repaired and repaired.
What’s more, its oldest archaeological use zopissa It dates to the late 7th century BC, which is consistent with an “archaic Greek tradition,” Charry and Queillebault told Gizmodo. This points to “the widespread diffusion of technological knowledge and the phenomenon of technological transfer in the Mediterranean basin,” the researchers explained.
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