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Archaeological Evidence
The actual remains of several naves lapidariae lost in antiquity are still visible on
the seafloor, providing important evidence to complete the broad picture outlined by
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ancient writers. As it is summarized in Table 18 and Fig. 47, there are indeed no fewer than
33 marble cargoes known at present, mostly belonging to the Imperial period, from the first
century B.C. to the sixth century A.D. It would appear, therefore, that naves lapidariae
would be among the best-documented ships of the ancient world, given the sheer number
of examples that have survived. This, however, is not the case. With the exception of the
information available for Torre Sgarrata, Mahdia, and INA’s current excavation in the Bay
of Kızılburun (Izmir, Turkey), the full excavation of a Roman marble carrier has never
been completed. 287
There is, therefore, a remarkable disparity between the number of known
shipwrecked marble cargoes and the number of those studied. The lack of data leaves gaps
in our understanding regarding this type of merchantman, and without the analysis of
actual hull remains to reveal construction details of the ship itself, any characteristics that
differentiated a navis lapidaria from other merchantmen remain unknown. The small
Skerki Bank F shipwreck, for instance, with only six blocks and two column shafts on
287 While writing these pages, the third excavation season of the Kizilburun shipwreck is complete. The
Kızılburun marble carrier, thanks to its depth (45 m) and remote location along the barren Turkish coastline,
represents a navis lapidaria of late Hellenistic period (second or first century B.C.) which sank quickly, as
the organization of the eight drums suggests – they are indeed still stacked neatly one next to the other. Once
fully published, and if remains of the hull are preserved, this ship could be the first of its kind to be known in
its entirety. (Carlson 2006). For more information regarding the Torre Sgarrata shipwreck, see Throckmorton
1989, 263-274; Antonelli 2002, 63-121.