Mare Nostrum - The Roman Sea

The Romans created an empire encircling the Mediterranean, to which they staked claim as Mare Nostrum, 'our sea'.

For 500 years their ships helped enlarge and consolidate this empire, linking its farflung trading posts and keeping the peace. Over the centuries, many were lost, leaving their timbers and cargoes on the seabed.

The excavation of these underwater sites has greatly enriched our knowledge of Roman maritime history, as well as lending insights into the everyday lives of this race of merchants, engineers and soldiers.

This volume covers the most significant Roman shipwrecks so far rediscovered, among others: Lake Nemi, Comacchio and la Madrague de Giens.

Detailed surveys of these wrecks and their cargoes, sometimes lasting many years, have allowed archaeologists and historians to formulate new theories on the shipbuilding techniques, naval strategy, diet, currency and trade routes of the Romans from the Republic to the last days of the Empire.

In this volume, we present you with some of these discoveries wrested from the depths of time and ocean.