ILOVIK, CROATIA—According to a Total Croatia News report, a shipwreck dated to the second century B.C. has been discovered in shallow waters of the Adriatic Sea near the island of Ilovik. The wooden merchant ship measured about 70 feet long and was held together with wooden wedges. Archaeologist Milan Eric and colleagues from the Lošinj Museum said that the wreck rested on loose sand, requiring the construction of a dam around the site to prevent it from being continually backfilled during the investigation. Although some artifacts were brought to the surface for desalination and conservation, the remains of the Ilovik ship were then recovered with sand, geotextiles, more sand, and iron nets connected to concrete blocks. To read about a Greek merchant ship that sank in the Black Sea some 2,400 years ago, go to "Ancient Shipwreck," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2018.
