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The ship, carrying a cargo of stoneblocks for construction, ran aground in the second century BC, in the entrance of the harbor of Carry-Le-Rouet. In Antiquity, building materials were an important part of maritime traffic, because conveyance on sea was less expensive than transportation on land. In 1983-84, the ship's cargo was raised and studied. It consisted of 24 monoliths, weighing on average close to a ton, and arranged symmetrically. They originated in the quarries of Ponteau-Lavera (Martigues, Bouches du Rhône). |
| In order to study their inscriptions, stonemasons' markings, and traces of extraction, the stones were cleared. Several stones had Greek inscriptions, in particular the monograms alpha-rhô and gamma-alpha-rhô. |
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| The same markings can be found on the pink chalk remains of the Hellenic ramparts of Marseilles. |
The cargo was recorded using stereo-photography.
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Installation of a reference triangle for stereo photographs. |
Stereo photographs taken with two Hasselblad cameras mounted on an aluminum base. |
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The Carry-le-Rouet shipwreck is exhibited at the Museum of the Roman Docks in Marseilles.
Excavation : Luc Long, DRASSM : Photos : Yves Gladu
