Download Pdf of Dissertation - Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M ...

The merchantman, loaded with a marble cargo, steered a direct course from Asia
Minor: all the items carried on board came from the quarries of Proconnesus and
Docimium. The location of these quarries, near the coastline in the case of Proconnesus or
far from it in the case of Docimium, may explain the differences in their cost: 40 and 200
denarii respectively, according to Diocletian’s Edict on Maximum Prices (A.D. 301). The
181
most likely point of departure was either Epheus or Miletus - each is close to the estuary of
the Meander River, which helped reducing the cost and difficulty of transportation.
While sailing toward the Strait of Messina, it is likely that a Grecale or Levante
storm broke, making it impossible for the helmsman to steer the ship to safety in the harbor
of Croton. Instead, he was forced to follow a straight course, past Capo Colonna, and look
for shelter in the protected bay of Punta Scifo. Perhaps it did not take long, however, for
the unpredictable winds to change direction and become a destructive Scirocco storm.
Since the entire coastline is totally unprotected to the south, there was no way for the crew
to save their ship. In this regard, it is interesting that both the Punta Scifo A and the Punta
Scifo B ships sank with their ends facing the coastline, as if they were being driven ashore
when their keels were shattered on the rocks close to the surface. The Punta Cicala wreck
lies with its bow oriented toward the bay of Punta Scifo; a destination it never reached
because of the treacherous rocks of Punta Cicala’s promontory.
Where the Punta Scifo A merchantman was destined remains unknown, although
Rome appears to be a likely candidate. Lead seals found on several marble artifacts are
usually associated with Imperial ownership. The high cost of Docimian marble, coupled
with the fact that the artifacts appear to have been quarried in an effort to fulfill a single