Merchant – sailing ship; Greek, Aegean Sea Basin
Period: 1st century B.C
Sunk: Bad weather which threw the ship onto the rocky coast.
Dimensions: length about 20 m
Coordinates: 43.66620° N, 15.66753° E
Location: Northern end of the island of Žirje, between the coves of Muna and Koromačno
Access: 4/5 access is possible by boat or from the land
Visibility: 3-4/5 mostly good, occasionally very good
Current: 4/5 mostly weak
Flora and fauna: 3-4/5 varied life on and around the wreck. Groupers and octopuses are common


HISTORY:

Ancient sailors did not only think about the shortest and safest routes and secure coves for anchoring. It was particularly important to also know places where to find supplies. For ancient crews fresh water was extremely necessary, and so some anchorages due to their water sources were very well attended. A “war of water” on the island of Sv. Klement in the Pakleni Islands even gained its name due to this.

According to the thoughts of experts, the island of Žirje in the Šibenik archipelago also has similar properties, and which represented an important stop on the ancient maritime routes along the coast of Northern Dalmatia. At the same time, it was located on the routes towards great ancient cities, centres of trade, transport and ports such as Jader (Zadar) or Scardona (Skradin). With its two coves and sources of drinking water the island was a genuine resting place for ancient mariners, looking for a safe harbour. Although, the discovery of this site in 1998 tells us that not everyone managed to find safety in the cove of the island of Žirje and take supplies of water. Namely, at 300 metres from the shore the remains of an ancient boat were uncovered with a cargo of amphorae, which were the most common containers in ancient maritime trading, especially adapted for loading into ships.


SITE:

The remains of the shipwreck were found almost untouched, placed on the seabed as at the time of sinking. The cargo of amphorae is visible at the spot where the stony bottom gradually becomes sandy, and the steep seabed becomes gentler. During documentation more than 300 amphorae were recorded, of which a large number were intact. The way in which they are placed is overwhelmingly reminiscent of the contours of the boat, in respect to its cargo space. The finds stretch about 20 metres in length and about 10 metres in width. Based on this we can also assume the size of the boat, although the wooden remains of the boat are not evident. It could be that the structure of the boat lies under the ceramic finds. Judging by the finds the boat is proof of maritime trade between today’s Greece and the eastern coast of the Adriatic during the 1st century.


CONDITION OF THE SITE AND DIVING:

The ancient shipwreck is located 300 metres from the northern shore of the island of Žirje. The bottom is rocky and steep, covered with seaweed, that after a depth of 25 to 30 metres begins to turn into sand and gently falls away. The site is located in a clearing at the foot of a rocky edge. Conditions for diving are good, and octopuses have found their habitat in the amphorae. The site can be viewed in one single dive. Due to the depth it is suitable for intermediate categories of tourist divers. It is important that an expert takes you to the location or an authorised diving centre with a concession, because it will be easier for you to find the locality.


Note: The site is declared as a cultural asset and a specially protected zone for controlled diving, therefore diving is only allowed with the guidance and supervision of authorised diving centres.



The description and illustrations are a courtesy of Danijel Frka and Jasen Mesić. Buy the whole book here: https://shop.naklada-val.hr/product_info.php?products_id=561