User:Phoenician24/Marsala Punic shipwreck

Lead
[Edit] The ship's hydrodynamic features demonstrate the maritime expertise inherited from the Phoenicians, renowned innovators in shipbuilding who influenced both the Greeks and Romans. Additionally, it is believed that despite its trireme dimensions, the Marsala Ship was a quadrireme modeled after the fast and agile Rhodian galleys. In 264 BC, the Romans seized Phoenician quinqueremes that ran aground. Polybius reports that the ship served as a model for the Romans' fleet ships; they realized the additional advantage of using Phoenician joints in shipbuilding, as the lumber used in edge-joined ship strakes does not have to be dried. Early in the First Punic War in 260 BC, the Phoenician shipbuilding technology allowed the Romans to build a fleet of 100 quinqueremes within two months.

The Marsala wreck was entirely conceived and realized ‘shell first’ because of the presence of bolted floor timbers

[Edit] Based on carbon-14 dating of wood fragments, the ships were estimated to be from around 235 ±65 BC. According to Frost, the paleography of the Punic inscriptions found on the timbers of the wrecks indicate the ships were built between 300 and 260 BC. These inscriptions made it possible for Frost to attribute the remains unquestionably to the Carthaginians.The Marsala ships may have played a role in the momentous Battle of the Aegates in 241 BC, as there is no other recorded battle that could explain the presence of shipwrecks along the shore at Isola Lunga. This battle saw the Roman fleet pitted against the Carthaginian fleet, resulting in a resounding victory for Rome and marking a decisive moment in the First Punic War. There is disagreement among specialists regarding the role of the recovered ships. Honor Frost views the ships as having been combat vessels. On the other hand, Franco-Tunisian historian and archaeologist Hédi Dridi, following Piero Bartoloni's perspective, believes that the recovered ships served as scout vessels, responsible for surveillance or acting as a link between larger ships engaged in direct combat. This interpretation is particularly influenced by the absence of bronze rostrums on the ships.

Understanding the belt of corrugation on the waterline of the Marsala "Punie Ship" is a puzzle that demands our attention. After over twenty years of speculation about isolated aspects of this wreck, a reminder of background information is warranted. Within the ancient Mediterranean family of smooth-skinned, mortise-and-tenon-built, "round" hulls, examined in considerable number since the 1950s, this Punic hull stands out with its unique features, notably its shape: it represents a " long" vessel, a characteristic that holds significant historical and archaeological value.

Sister ship
[Edit] From the first ship, archaeologists discovered the remains of 12 m (39 ft) of keel on the stern and port side. On the bow of the second ship, they discovered the remains of a wooden spur and elements of Punic calligraphy. The naval ram of the Sister Ship was discovered and reconstructed: unlike the trident-shaped rams depicted on Carthaginian coins, it is in the shape of a 3-metre-long upward curving beak, made of metal-coated wood. A thick, resinous coating covered the wood of the remains of the ram, along with nails and fragments of a copper plate. Barely emerging from the water, it was connected to the bow by a novel fastener designed to break on impact during ramming. This mechanism would enable the attacking vessel to easily disengage from its adversary's battered side and stay afloat.