Byzantine shipwreck off Croatia held record gold haul and an emperor's ring

Polače, Mljet, Croatia A ship that sank off the Croatian island of Mljet in the late 7th or early 8th century AD was probably carrying a high-ranking Byzantine passenger and their entourage. That is the view of underwater archaeologists from the Croatian Conservation Institute. The wreck has produced gold coins and gold belt fittings set with rubies, emeralds and pearls. It has also produced a gold signet ring bearing the image of an emperor.

Igor Miholjek leads the investigation. He said the gold objects, now cleaned and restored, weigh more than 600 grams. According to Miholjek, that is the largest concentration of gold yet recovered from a Mediterranean shipwreck. The institute calls the wreck one of the most important underwater finds from the Byzantine period anywhere in the Mediterranean.

This is an impressive amount of gold, the largest ever found on a shipwreck in the entire Mediterranean [region].

Igor Miholjek, Croatian Conservation Institute

Gold belts for dignitaries and a ring with an emperor's image

The richest finds are four gold belt sets. Their buckles and decorative belt ends are set with precious stones. They once decorated leather belts worn by senior Byzantine dignitaries, whose dress signalled their rank in the imperial hierarchy.

The institute says comparable fittings have never before been found underwater in the Mediterranean. The History Blog reports that one of the belts closely resembles a belt from an Avar tomb on the mainland. According to The History Blog, this suggests both were made in the same workshop and then sold.

The signet ring shows an emperor of the dynasty founded by Heraclius, which ruled from 610 to 711. The researchers think only someone at the top of the Byzantine state or military could have owned a ring like this. That person was possibly authorised to seal imperial documents. The ring may also have been a diplomatic gift.

Pavle Dugonjić is head of the institute's Department of Underwater Archaeology. He told Reuters that the emperor's image made it clear the ring "certainly wouldn't be worn by just anyone."

Coins date the sinking

Gold coins have helped the team narrow the date of the sinking to the late 7th or early 8th century. The coins were issued under four emperors of the Heraclian dynasty in the late 7th century. Few written records survive from this period.

The ship also carried ordinary cargo. There were amphorae (jars used to transport oil and wine), trade scales, ivory game tokens and dice. There was also tableware, including bowls, plates and jugs.

The archaeologists have two explanations for the voyage. The senior passenger may have been travelling on official business aboard a commercial vessel. Or the ship may have been on a diplomatic or military mission. The History Blog reports one idea: that it was delivering tribute to an ally.

Excavated over a decade on a steep seabed

The wreck lies near Polače on Mljet, off Croatia's southern Adriatic coast. The History Blog says it was first surveyed in 2014, when the shapes of the amphorae showed it was a Byzantine ship. Arkeonews dates the start of the investigation to 2015. It counts nine excavation campaigns since then.

The seabed is steep. Diving was possible for only a few weeks each summer. As a result, every stage of recording and excavation took longer than usual.

Heading for a safe harbour

Mljet lay beside a major sea route between the eastern and western Mediterranean. Ships used it to travel between Constantinople, the Adriatic coast and Italy. Polače Bay was a natural refuge in bad weather, and a large Late Antique palace complex was built beside the harbour.

The researchers suspect the ship was trying to reach shelter there when it sank. Why it failed is unknown. A storm, a navigational error or a structural failure are all possible.

Justin Leidwanger is an archaeology professor at Stanford University. His team is working with the Croatian researchers. He called the site "the most important shipwreck of its period."

If you're studying the end of the late Roman Empire and the transformation into the medieval world, this is a critical site for us to understand and to gain insights into how the Mediterranean was held together by its sea routes, how it fragmented, how the empire fell apart.

Justin Leidwanger, Stanford University

Twenty wrecks found around Mljet

The wreck is part of a longer programme of work around the island. Over the past 19 years, teams led by Miholjek and Dugonjić have identified 20 previously unknown shipwrecks near Mljet. They range in date from the 2nd century BC to the 16th century AD.

Study of the finds continues. Stanford researchers are analysing the amphorae and pottery. They aim to establish where these were made, what they held and which ports the ship may have visited.

Falko Daim and Levante Samu are examining how the gold belt sets were made and decorated. The numismatist Željko Demo is studying the coins.

Sources

• Byzantine Shipwreck Near Croatia Studied (Archaeology Magazine)
• Byzantine Shipwreck Off Croatia Yields Record Gold Treasure and an Emperor’s Ring (Arkeonews)
• Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck (The History Blog)

Spotted a mistake? Tell the editor about a spelling error or a fact that is wrong. We correct stories openly.

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