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Cargo on the Ancient Ses Fontanelles Shipwreck Studied

Ses Fontanelles ShipwreckLES MERAVELLES, MAJORCA—According to a Live Science report, analysis of the contents of a Roman shipwreck found in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the island of Majorca suggests that many of the 300 amphoras in the cargo were filled with liquamen, a sauce made with whole anchovies and sardines. Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros of the University of Barcelona and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies said that residues in the labeled jugs on board the fourth century shipwreck show that some of the other vessels contained wine, olive oil, or olives that may have been preserved in vinegar. Ropes, shoes, a wooden drill, and matting made of vine shoots and grass to protect the ship’s hull from the cargo were also recovered. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. For more on ancient shipwrecks, go to "History's 10 Greatest Wrecks..."