Precenicco

Country: Italy

Place: Stella River near Precenicco, Friuli Venezia Giulia

Type: Bottom-based riverine/coastal boat

Identified: Not identified by name

Dated: Twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century, based on C-14 samples

Number of Masts: At least one; remains of a short mast step were identified over the center of the overall hull length

History of the shipwreck

Out of the many river networks between the Alps and the Adriatic coastline, the Stella River holds a prominent place. The groundwater-fed river provides a constant flow throughout the year that empties into the Marano Lagoon. This navigable waterway allowed human occupation along its shores for centuries, with archaeological finds originating as far back as the Neolithic (Capulli 2019b, 83).

Construction in 2012 for a removable flood barrier on the Stella near Precenicco by the Consorzio di Bonifica Bassa Friulana uncovered the remains of a medieval wooden boat during the archaeological survey prescribed by the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia. After two years of deliberation, the Consorzio and Superintendence agreed to retrieve the boat for conservation. Contract archaeologists from Archeolab returned to the site in 2014 to conduct a full-scale excavation that eventually led to the recovery of the surviving hull structure. The wooden remains were kept intact in a custom-built metal cradle and shipped to the salt warehouses of Villa Ottelio (owned by the Venezia Giulia Region), where it is still immersed in water awaiting treatment (Capulli 2017, 131).

Samples collected from the Precenicco wreck by C-14 date the ship to the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century (Capulli 2019a, 117, note 38).

Description of the site

The boat was found in the bed of the Stella River near Precenicco, Friuli Venezia Giulia, during construction of a removable flood barrier (Capulli 2017, 131).

Cargo

Not described in the source text.

Hull Remains

Keel

The boat is bottom-based, with a central keel plank matching the same thickness as the rest of the strakes. No evidence for endposts survives; instead, the keel plank is shaped into a point on either end, which accompanying garboards and upper strakes are tapered to match. Fastener holes in the planking suggest that the framing continued until the very end points of the boat (Capulli 2019b, 79).

Frames

An interesting element of Precenicco is the use of alternating long-armed floor timbers that overlap and are nailed to short-armed futtocks. Floor timbers are mainly square, and there is a clear narrowing progression from a single master frame to either end, with limited rising. Frame stations are widely spaced, with double or triple the space compared to the dimension of floor timbers (Capulli 2017, 132).

Keelson

The remains of a short mast step positioned over the center of the overall hull length are connected to the floor timbers rather than bolted between them (Capulli 2019a, 115).

Ceiling, thick stuff and wales

There is a bilge stringer on either side, positioned at the overlap between the floor timbers and futtocks (Capulli 2019b, 79, 81).

Planking

Iron nails are rare on this boat and were only used to connect the floor timbers and futtocks. Most other fastenings are treenails, with one to three used per plank at each frame station (Capulli 2019b, 79, 81). The boat's flat floor and round bilge are unusual for an exclusively riverine craft (which typically includes a hard chine instead) and suggest that the vessel could operate in the Marano Lagoon or be used for coastal travel.

Size and scantlings

Floor timbers mainly square, narrowing progressively from a single master frame toward either end. Frame stations spaced two to three times the dimension of the floor timbers. Planking fastened with one to three treenails per plank at each frame station.

References

Capulli, M., 2017.

Capulli, M., 2019a.

Capulli, M., 2019b. “The Precenicco shipwreck”