Isola Sacra - South-west part - Shipwrecks

In 2011 two shipwrecks were discovered on the Isola Sacra, at a depth of 2.5 meters, during construction work of a new bridge on the Tiber (Ponte della Scafa) and its connected road system. The wrecks were found behind the coastline, to the east of the Via Flavia, approximately 300 meters to the north of the north bank of the Tiber. They are inside the Portus to Ostia canal, or in an area closely associated with it, such as an inlet or some kind of dock. The two ships seem to have sunk around 200 AD. This could be due to a flood of the Tiber, but it is also conceivable that, when the ships were end-of-life after many repairs, they were reused to strengthen the bank of the canal (cf. B. Ford, "The Reuse of Vessels as Harbor Structures: A Cross-Cultural Comparison", Journal of Maritime Archaeology 8 (2013), 197-219).

The south part of the Isola Sacra with the location of the shipwrecks. Image: Keay 2020, fig. 5.2.

The excavation of the first shipwreck, named Isola Sacra 1, started in June 2011. It measures 12 x 4.88 m., with a hull depth of about 1 m. It was comparatively flat-bottomed. The vessel has been identified as a horeia-type vessel, so a service boat for use within the harbour or a fishing boat. The second shipwreck (Isola Sacra 2) was lying perpendicularly to Isola Sacra 1 and was partially covered by it. Only the southern side of Isola Sacra 2 has been investigated and documented.

The wreck of Isola Sacra 1. Photo: Boetto 2017, fig. 3.