Sud Lavezzi 3, first quarter of the 1st century AD
Country: France
Place: South of the Lavezzi islands, Strait of Bonifacio (Corse-du-Sud), at a depth of 38 m
Coordinates (approximate): 41.32, 9.25
Type: Large Roman merchant ship
Identified: No
Dated: First quarter of the 1st century AD, based on the amphorae (Corsi-Sciallano and Liou 1985: 130).
Beam: Unknown.
Keel Length: Unknown.
Length Overall: Unknown; a ship of large proportions.
Number of Masts: Unknown.
History of the wreck
The Sud Lavezzi 3 wreck lies in the Strait of Bonifacio (Corsica). It carried a large cargo of Tarraconensian Dressel 2-4 amphorae, together with some Pascual 1 (Liou 1982: 448), which were almost entirely looted. They are dated to the first quarter of the 1st century (Corsi-Sciallano and Liou 1985: 130). The hull remains were completely unknown until the 2001 sampling campaign of the research programme Dendrochronologie et dendromorphologie des épaves antiques de Méditerranée, when a new intervention was carried out on the ship’s hull.
Description of the site
The wreck lies at a depth of 38 m. The hull remains, although small, occupying an area of 4.50 m long by 3 m wide, are the only significant remains of the wreck (Pomey and Guibal 2002: 85–86) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Plan of the remains of the Sud Lavezzi 3 wreck in 2001 (drawing by Rival, CCJ-CNRS Aix-en-Provence, after Pomey and Guibal 2002: 86).
Cargo
Tarraconensian Dressel 2-4 amphorae, with some Pascual 1, almost entirely looted.
Ballast
Not reported.
Anchors
Not reported.
Guns
Not applicable.
Iron concretions
Not reported.
Hull Remains
Fragments of the keel, seven pieces of planking and nine framing timbers survive, six in the lower part of the site and three in the upper part (Figure 1). The hull remains are too fragmentary to establish the particular characteristics of the ship. The most notable feature is the size of the keel and the garboard strake, which indicates a ship of large proportions.
Keel, keelson and mast step
Fragments of the keel survive, 20 cm wide at the upper face and 16 cm at the lower face.
Frames
The ship has an alternation of floor timbers and half-frames, with a relatively flat bottom. The framing is very robust: the frames are 10 to 15 cm sided and 12 to 25 cm moulded, with a very tight room-and-space (malla) of 5 to 7 cm. The frames are fastened to the hull by treenails 2 cm in diameter.
Planking
The planking has an average thickness of 4 cm and a width of between 15 and 20 cm. The mortises are 5 to 5.5 cm wide and 0.7 cm thick, spaced 5 cm apart. The pegs are 1 cm in diameter on the inside of the hull. The garboard strake is very thick, 8 cm, and the diameter of the pegs locking its tenons differs from one side to the other (1 cm and 1.5 cm on the inside of the hull), with a spacing between them of 10 to 12 cm.
Ceiling, thick stuff, and wales
Not reported.
Caulking
Not reported.
Size and scantlings
The keel (16–20 cm wide), the very thick garboard strake (8 cm) and the robust framing (10–15 × 12–25 cm) indicate a ship of large proportions.
Table 1. Scantling of the timber remains of the Sud Lavezzi 3 Shipwreck
| Timber | Sided [cm] | Molded [cm] |
| Keel | 16–20 | – |
| Keelson | – | – |
| Maststep Mortise | – – | – – |
| Buttresses | – | – |
| Frames | 10–15 | 12–25 |
| Futtocks | – | – |
| Room-and-space At central frames | 5–7 (space) | |
| Planking Garboard | 15–20 – | 4 (avg.) 8 |
| Ceiling | – | – |
| Main mast Ø Chock | – – | – – |
Keel: 20 cm wide at the upper face and 16 cm at the lower face. Planking: sided = width, moulded = thickness.
Wood
The keel and garboard strakes are of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), which contrasts with the six species recorded in the framing: three resinous (Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinaster and Pinus sylvestris) and three hardwoods (Quercus sp., Populus sp. (poplar) and Celtis sp.). The fastenings (tenons, pegs and treenails) are of Quercus ilex or Quercus sp.
Bibliography
Corsi-Sciallano, M. and Liou, B. 1985. Les épaves de Tarraconaise à chargement d’amphores Dressel 2-4. Archaeonautica 5. Paris: CNRS.
Liou, B. 1982. Direction des recherches archéologiques sous-marines. Gallia 40.2: 437–454.
Pomey, P. and Guibal, F. 2002. Dendrochronologie et dendromorphologie des épaves antiques de Méditerranée. Bilan scientifique du DRASSM 2001, 85–86. Paris.