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absence of the four “anchoring feet” used to fix similar artifacts in the soil suggests that
they were meant to be used on a paved surface.
Further archaeological investigation may make it possible to demonstrate that the
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Punta Scifo A and B shipwrecks were part of a single convoy. What is known of their hulls
indicates that each had two rows of mortise-and-tenon-joined planks, and that the bottom
planking was 8 cm thick. At least two Kapitän 2 amphoras were on board each vessel,
along with two ladles decorated with swans’ heads. Unfortunately, no analyses have been
conducted on the marble cargo from the Punta Scifo B site; if it were revealed to be
Proconnesian, this would provide additional evidence for a common origin for the two
merchantmen, and a single shipment for a building enterprise on an Imperial scale.
Overall, the five marble carriers add a new dimension to the maritime history of
Croton and the Roman marble trade. It is clear that both the city’s harbor and the
promontories and natural bays to the south represented important ports of call for ships and
sailors, even at a time when the city itself was in apparent economic decline. While the
importance of these shipwrecks for the study of the Roman marble trade is obvious, it is
unfortunate that so little has been published since 1908. This research aims to underscore
that even 100 years after the original discoveries, future research can illuminate the history
of Croton, and that of the Roman marble trade itself, of which the five lost naves
lapidariae form an important chapter.