Antibes slowly gives up ancient Roman ship

THE painstaking task of uncovering a 15-metre length of a ship in Antibes which dates from the time the area was controlled by the Romans is told by the Guardian.

A section of the hull and structural timbers are being worked upon by archaeologist from Inrap, an official body charged with preserving antiquities, after the discovery was made during preparation work on a car park on a site in Antibes that was once part of the Roman port of Antipolis.

You can find out more about the project on the Inrap website, which explains that the remains consist of a keel and several boards that covered the hull, held together by thousands of pegs inserted into sheave slots cut into the thickness of the boards.

Around forty transverse ribs are present, some of which were attached to the keel with metallic pins.

It is believed the boat was abandoned around the second or third century BC, and means the vessel can be traced to the times of the Imperial Roman ships of the western Mediterranean.

However, the cause of its sinking is still unknown.