Galera de César (Musée des Docks), before the 3rd century AD
Country: France
Place: Rue de la République, Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône); found on land in a harbour context. Now in the Musée des Docks Romains, Marseille
Coordinates (approximate): 43.30, 5.37
Type: Roman flat-bottomed vessel
Identified: No
Dated: Slightly before the 3rd century AD; the harbour context dates from the end of the 1st to the 3rd century AD.
Beam: Unknown.
Keel Length: Unknown.
Length Overall: Unknown.
Number of Masts: Unknown.
History of the wreck
The wreck, also called the Galera de César, appeared in a land context in 1864, during the construction of the present Rue de la République in Marseille. This only allowed it to be said that it is a ship built slightly before the 3rd century AD, although the material from the harbour context in which the hull fragment appeared dates from the end of the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD. Together with the wreck, a section of quay was discovered, hypothetically dated to the 1st century AD.
Description of the site
The hull fragment measures 3.60 m long and 2.70 m wide (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Photograph of the wreck shortly after its discovery, with a section of the keelson preserved (after Benoit 1958: 11).
Figure 2. The wreck as displayed today in the Musée des Docks Romains, Marseille (photo: C. de Juan Fuertes).
Cargo
Not reported.
Ballast
Not reported.
Anchors
Not reported.
Guns
Not applicable.
Iron concretions
Not reported. Copper nails were used for certain joints.
Hull Remains
It is a fragment of a flat-bottomed ship which, besides mortise-and-tenon joints, has copper nails for certain joints. It preserved a section of an internal longitudinal reinforcement, and a series of notches in the frames shows how two parallel keelsons were fitted (Figures 1 and 2).
Keel, keelson and mast step
The scarf joining this section of stem or sternpost to the keel was studied by Dubois in 1976 (Figures 3 and 4). The rabbet in this section is notched, but with gentle angles. A section of the internal longitudinal reinforcement was preserved, and notches in the frames show the seating of two parallel keelsons.
Figure 3. Section of the trait de Jupiter scarf joining the stem or sternpost to the keel (after Dubois 1976: 171).
Figure 4. Underside, showing the notches of the trait de Jupiter scarf (photo: C. de Juan Fuertes).
Frames
The frames have a series of notches showing how two parallel keelsons were fitted.
Planking
The planking is edge-joined with mortises and tenons; copper nails were used for certain joints.
Ceiling, thick stuff, and wales
Not reported.
Caulking
Not reported.
Size and scantlings
A fragment 3.60 × 2.70 m of a flat-bottomed ship; no timber dimensions are reported.
Wood
The wood used is Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis).
Bibliography
Benoit, F. 1958. Nouvelles épaves de Provence. Gallia 16.1: 5–39.
Dubois, C. 1976. Remarques sur les quilles des navires romains. Revue archéologique de Narbonnaise 9: 155–175.