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Conclusions
Like all ancient shipwrecks, that at Punta Scifo A is a complex assemblage of
artifacts, which poses more questions than answers. The current state of the site, the
amount of time that has passed since it was first discovered, and the asystematic recovery
of artifacts make a comprehensive study difficult. The present research was conducted a
century after the original discovery, and many of the artifacts mentioned at that time are
no longer in evidence. Even heavy items, including column shafts, have disappeared. In
addition, the site itself is in poor shape. The Forcellinis raised 150 tons of marble, nearly
obliterating the shipwreck. It is difficult to reconstruct the site as it appeared at the time
of its discovery, much less to imagine what the ship must have looked like before it sank.
What was the ultimate destination of this marble shipment? Was it intended to be
divided among several buyers, or did it represent a single consignment meant to fulfill a
specific order? Punta Scifo A’s point of departure was probably located along the western
coast of Asia Minor -possibly Ephesus or Miletus- but the vessel’s final destination,
somewhere in the western Mediterranean, remains enigmatic. Because the column shafts
and blocks carry inscriptions and notches for lead seals usually connected with Imperial
ownership of marble items, it is possible that the cargo was commissioned by the
emperor and was headed to Rome. The quality of the material, the number and scale of
artifacts, their relative cost, and the apparent unity of the cargo make it reasonable to
hypothesize that the whole cargo was meant to fulfill a single order. It may be possible,
however difficult to prove, that the 16 columns were destined to decorate a two-level
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