An ancient Roman vessel carrying 3000 jars of garum, the Roman fish sauce that was found on nearly every Roman table as a condiment and source of salt, has been found in 200 meters of water off the coast of northeastern Liguria.
The 25-meter-long ship is one of only five Roman “deep sea” vessels ever found in the Mediterranean. Archaeologists first started looking for it after fishermen brought up fragments of clay jars in the area in 2012. They were recognized as a type that was used only for garum.
But finding the ship wasn’t easy; not only the depth of the waters, but also the shifting sands which had nearly buried the vessel. The wreck took place in the first or second century AD; the ship was probably headed for the Iberian peninsula with its precious cargo, which long ago leaked into the sea.
Because of some other types of jars found in the wreck, archaeologists believe the ship was carrying wine from the Tiber River region as well as the precious sauce cargo.
No major research projects are planned at the site now, but the scientists have called for a close watch on the site, saying that “At 200 meters nobody will be able to dive it but that won’t stop people trying to pull things up using deep sea fishing nets.” For more detail from TheLocal.it, click HERE
If you’re interested in trying the intense, salty sauce, which is made from fermented fish intestines, a blog called The Garum Factory has a lot more information about it, and how to find it. Click HERE
