Ses Fontanelles Roman wreck nominated for National Geographic award

The Roman wreck of Ses Fontanelles, lying off Playa de Palma, Mallorca, has been nominated for a National Geographic Historia +Historia award. The Island Council of Mallorca, which leads research into the fourth-century AD vessel, announced the nomination on 24 August.

The ship sank about 1,700 years ago and is competing in the Best National Historical Discovery or Find category. The winner will be selected through a public vote on the National Geographic Historia website, open until 12 October.

Competing archaeological discoveries

Ses Fontanelles is one of five nominations in its category. The other candidates are a funerary epigraphic collection in Cádiz, the Roman sanctuary of Cova de les Dones in Valencia, prehistoric beads from a burial complex in Seville, and a funerary structure at Alarcos Archaeological Park in Ciudad Real.

The +Historia awards are being held for the third time and recognise history and archaeology projects, finds and figures in Spain.

Recovery and conservation work

The Island Council of Mallorca completed the full recovery of the wreck on 29 June after a four-month operation that began on 10 March. The work involved the University of the Balearic Islands, the University of Barcelona and the University of Cádiz.

A team of about 15 people dismantled the vessel from the upper layers downwards and from the outside in. The final two sections of the hull floor, each about 12 metres long, were raised with flotation balloons and transported by sea to Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa.

Recovered timbers are being kept underwater in desalination tanks at Castillo de San Carlos for about a year and a half. They will then be restored at the ARQVAtec laboratory of the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena using polyethylene glycol treatment and freeze-drying.

The excavation also recovered near-complete amphorae, decorated fine tableware, North African cooking pottery, animal remains, four anchors and almost 90 metres of rope. Two complete plant-fibre baskets, a pulley, a sounding lead and linen sail remains were also found. An exhibition on the wreck is due to open at La Misericòrdia Cultural Centre in November.

Topics: Nature & wildlife · Culture · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com