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Description:
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A late antique shipwreck was excavated in the Pantano Longarini marsh in the southeastern corner of Sicily in the 1960s . Despite its excellent preservation , problematic circumstances surrounding its excavation and publication have resulted in scholars ignoring or misinterpreting it . The majority of the data , including original field notes and documentation , are lost , and the drawings , plans , and photographs that remain are sometimes inconsistent and incomplete . My research reanalyzes the remains of this ship to determine how the Sicilians adapted to their marine and economic conditions within the turbulent socio -economic and political climate of late antiquity . The Pantano Longarini shipwreck demonstrates early stages in a shift from the tradition of plank -based construction to the modern system of reliance on an internal framework for structural support . Contemporary wrecks provide parallels , but unique elements distinguish this ship from those typically studied . Extremely thick timbers , a relatively flat bottom and bow and stern ramps argue that the Pantano Longarini ship was designed to carry bulk loads . Although the ship was originally reported as an extremely advanced ship , the present analysis points to a different type of watercraft : a coastal barge . Correctly identifying the Pantano Longarini ship allows us to gather information about the needs of its builders , as well as extends our knowledge of shipping and ship construction in the seventh century . |