The real excavation of the wreck took place in 1977 under the direction of Michael Katzev and Donald A. Frey (INA) with the technical support of Sub Sea Oil Co.. But sometime earlier a team of DAI (Deutsche Archäologische Institut) started the survey of the wreck, but it was stopped by the tragic death of two archaeologists.
The excavation of 1977 was the first deepwater archaeological excavation. The wreck lies at - m 59. To excavate the ship properly, saturation diving had to be done. Divers breathed a helium and oxygen mixture. Dives were 5, 7 and 9 days. This meant that the divers had to go through 38 hours decompression at the end of their shift.
On the whole, divers worked on the wreck for two hours. There were teams of four, two diving in the morning and two in the afternoon. For safety reasons, one diver always monitored the other from the on-site diving bell. For further safety, there was a continual diver-surface com and CCTV. However, there was a lot of interference.
The hull was the major artefact to be uncovered in the 1977 excavation. Of the hull, around 6 sq. m was exposed during excavation with the further indication that more lay under a layer of undisturbed sand and amphorae. The details of the uncovered hull are as follows: The main section featured eight to ten exposed strakes on which eight frames were located and overlain with three interior planks. The frames were moulded 10cm and sided 16cm. The strakes are given an average measurement of 20cm in width and 4.5cm in thickness. These were joined together by pegged mortise-and-tenon fastenings that were widely spaced - between 16cm to 18.5cm. Mortises averaged 5cm to 6cm deep.
A large interior timber was uncovered in the excavation running longitudinally across six frames. Measuring 30cm wide and 6cm thick, the timber may have acted as a clamp to strengthen the hull from the inside. Two other interior timbers were recovered which could have been the remains of ceiling planking. A wooden pole 7cm in diameter lied parallel to the main timber but was unattached to the hull, it's purpose remains unknown.
Brushwood was found beneath the amphorae and spread over the inside of the hull. The interior of the hull was coated with a thin layer of a dark tarry substance which had to be removed by the divers to get to the tenon peg outlines and the seams between the strakes. A number of copper and iron nails were also found, one complete measuring 15cm in length and retaining its original clenched shape.
The Capistello ship, indicated by the size of the hull recovered and by that remained buried or lost, is believed to be bigger than the Kyrenia ship of roughly a century earlier. The Kyrenia measured 15m by 5m. The Capistello is dated to the fifth century BC, 100 years prior to the Kyrenia.
The Capistello wreck was a small freighter carrying amphorae and Campanian ware, a fairly normal cargo for a Mediterranean freighter to carry. The Capistello wreck was dated to the IVth century, a century later than the Kyrenia.
The building technique of the ship falls into the transitional period of Mediterranean boatbuilding as shown by the Kyrenia and St Congloue ships. The Capistello wreck has mortise and tenon fastenings, but they are widely spaced and do not give the hull strength and integrity. This is carried by the frames, which were moulded to fit the hull. They are fastened by copper nails to the hull, the nails clenched over on the inside. The frames were a pattern of floor timbers and half-frames alternating with each other. Additionally, the excavation showed a logitudinal timber running over the frames. It was 30 cm wide, and was used as a stringer to further strengthen the hull.
The excavation of 1977 was the first deepwater archaeological excavation. The wreck lies at - m 59. To excavate the ship properly, saturation diving had to be done. Divers breathed a helium and oxygen mixture. Dives were 5, 7 and 9 days. This meant that the divers had to go through 38 hours decompression at the end of their shift.
On the whole, divers worked on the wreck for two hours. There were teams of four, two diving in the morning and two in the afternoon. For safety reasons, one diver always monitored the other from the on-site diving bell. For further safety, there was a continual diver-surface com and CCTV. However, there was a lot of interference.
The hull was the major artefact to be uncovered in the 1977 excavation. Of the hull, around 6 sq. m was exposed during excavation with the further indication that more lay under a layer of undisturbed sand and amphorae. The details of the uncovered hull are as follows: The main section featured eight to ten exposed strakes on which eight frames were located and overlain with three interior planks. The frames were moulded 10cm and sided 16cm. The strakes are given an average measurement of 20cm in width and 4.5cm in thickness. These were joined together by pegged mortise-and-tenon fastenings that were widely spaced - between 16cm to 18.5cm. Mortises averaged 5cm to 6cm deep.
A large interior timber was uncovered in the excavation running longitudinally across six frames. Measuring 30cm wide and 6cm thick, the timber may have acted as a clamp to strengthen the hull from the inside. Two other interior timbers were recovered which could have been the remains of ceiling planking. A wooden pole 7cm in diameter lied parallel to the main timber but was unattached to the hull, it's purpose remains unknown.
Brushwood was found beneath the amphorae and spread over the inside of the hull. The interior of the hull was coated with a thin layer of a dark tarry substance which had to be removed by the divers to get to the tenon peg outlines and the seams between the strakes. A number of copper and iron nails were also found, one complete measuring 15cm in length and retaining its original clenched shape.
The Capistello ship, indicated by the size of the hull recovered and by that remained buried or lost, is believed to be bigger than the Kyrenia ship of roughly a century earlier. The Kyrenia measured 15m by 5m. The Capistello is dated to the fifth century BC, 100 years prior to the Kyrenia.
The Capistello wreck was a small freighter carrying amphorae and Campanian ware, a fairly normal cargo for a Mediterranean freighter to carry. The Capistello wreck was dated to the IVth century, a century later than the Kyrenia.
The building technique of the ship falls into the transitional period of Mediterranean boatbuilding as shown by the Kyrenia and St Congloue ships. The Capistello wreck has mortise and tenon fastenings, but they are widely spaced and do not give the hull strength and integrity. This is carried by the frames, which were moulded to fit the hull. They are fastened by copper nails to the hull, the nails clenched over on the inside. The frames were a pattern of floor timbers and half-frames alternating with each other. Additionally, the excavation showed a logitudinal timber running over the frames. It was 30 cm wide, and was used as a stringer to further strengthen the hull.
Bibliography
Blanck H., 1978, Der Schiffsfund von der Secca di Capistello bei Lipari. Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archaologischen
Instituts, Romisch Abteilung 85. Mainz am Rhein.
Frey D.A. & Hentschel F.D. & Keith D.H., 1978, Deepwater archaeology. The Capistello wreck excavation, Lipari,
Aeolian Islands. IJNA, 7.4: 279-300.
Frey D.A. #et al#., 1979,L'archeologia sottomarina a grande Profondita: gli scavi di Capistello.Sicilia Archeologica,
12.39. (Trapani)
Kapitan G., 1978, Exploration at Cape Graziano, Filicudi, Aeolian Islands, 1977. IJNA, 7.4: 269-277. Picozzi S., 1979, La nave di Capistello. Il Subacqueo, 7.70.
Sebastiano Tusa
Blanck H., 1978, Der Schiffsfund von der Secca di Capistello bei Lipari. Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archaologischen
Instituts, Romisch Abteilung 85. Mainz am Rhein.
Frey D.A. & Hentschel F.D. & Keith D.H., 1978, Deepwater archaeology. The Capistello wreck excavation, Lipari,
Aeolian Islands. IJNA, 7.4: 279-300.
Frey D.A. #et al#., 1979,L'archeologia sottomarina a grande Profondita: gli scavi di Capistello.Sicilia Archeologica,
12.39. (Trapani)
Kapitan G., 1978, Exploration at Cape Graziano, Filicudi, Aeolian Islands, 1977. IJNA, 7.4: 269-277. Picozzi S., 1979, La nave di Capistello. Il Subacqueo, 7.70.
Sebastiano Tusa
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