A Roman ship that sank about 2,200 years ago off the Adriatic coast is offering a closer look at how vessels were maintained in antiquity. New research suggests the ship was repaired several times in different locations during its working life, rather than being serviced in a single place.
The wreck, known as Ilovik–Paržine 1, was found in 2016 near the Croatian island of Ilovik. Archaeologists have examined the hull and cargo before, but recent work has focused on the material used to seal the ship’s exterior—substances meant to keep water out and protect the wood from damage.
The study, published in Frontiers in Materials, looks at the ship’s coating in detail. Researchers from France and Croatia analyzed samples taken from different sections of the hull, using both chemical testing and pollen analysis.
Most of the coating was made from pine-based pitch, produced by heating resin from conifer trees. In one case, the material included beeswax mixed with pitch. This combination would have made the coating more workable and slightly more flexible when applied.
The chemical makeup alone does not explain much about where or when the coatings were used. The pollen embedded in the material, however, provides more specific clues.
Because pitch is sticky, it traps particles from the surrounding environment at the time it is applied. These include pollen grains from nearby plants. By identifying those grains, researchers can link each layer of coating to a particular type of landscape.
The samples show a mix of plant types. Some point to coastal Mediterranean environments, including pine and evergreen oak. Others suggest vegetation typical of riverbanks or wetlands, such as alder and ash. There are also traces of plants associated with upland areas, including fir and beech.
This range does not match a single location. Instead, it suggests the coatings were applied in different places over time.
The distribution of the material across the ship supports that idea. The central section and stern share similar coatings, while the bow contains several distinct layers. Taken together, the evidence points to at least four separate phases of repair.
Earlier studies of the ship’s ballast linked it to the region around Brundisium—modern-day Brindisi—on Italy’s southeastern coast. Some of the pollen data is consistent with that area. Other samples reflect environments found along the eastern side of the Adriatic, closer to where the wreck was discovered.
This pattern suggests the vessel continued to be maintained as it moved between ports.
Direct evidence for repair work on ancient ships is limited. Written sources make it clear that maintenance was necessary, especially for vessels traveling long distances, but physical traces are not always easy to identify. In this case, the coatings provide a record of those interventions.
Differences between layers are not obvious at first glance. The chemical composition is largely similar, with pitch as the main component. The pollen, however, separates them into distinct episodes, each tied to a different setting.
The findings highlight a part of ship construction that has often received less attention. Structural elements like hull design and joinery are well studied, but materials such as pitch and wax can also carry useful information.
For Ilovik–Paržine 1, they show that upkeep was ongoing and likely carried out wherever the ship happened to be operating. Rather than returning to a single base for repairs, the vessel appears to have been maintained along its route.
The Adriatic in this period was an active corridor for trade and movement. A ship traveling through it would have had access to multiple harbors where repairs could be made using locally available materials.
The wreck itself preserves part of that history. Alongside cargo remains, the layers of coating record a sequence of practical decisions—when to repair, where to do it, and what materials to use.
Those details do not change the basic outline of Roman seafaring, but they add resolution. The ship was not a static object built once and left unchanged. It was maintained repeatedly, in different places, as it continued to operate.
That pattern, visible in the material sealed onto its hull, offers a more grounded view of how ships were kept in service across the ancient Mediterranean.
Header Image Credit : L. Damelet, CNRS/CCJ
Sources : Frontiers – 10.3389/fmats.2026.1758862
