Ancient naval battle site yields relics of war

On March 10 241BC a huge naval battle took place off the coast of Sicily between the Romans and their archenemies the Carthaginians. It put an end to the First Punic War and set the Roman Republic on its militaristic path to becoming an Empire. The Battle of the Egadi Islands is the first ancient naval battle site ever discovered and it is now being surveyed in minute detail.

The Battle of the Egadi Islands in 241 B.C.E [Credit: Favignana Maritime Museum]

Directed by the Soprintendenza del Mare and RPM Nautical Foundation, the Egadi Island Survey was established nearly 10 years ago. They have been joined by The University of Nottingham’s underwater archaeologist Dr Jon Henderson who is using some of the latest underwater archaeology techniques to help survey and map this remarkable battle site.

Working at depths of between 40 to 120 metres they are surveying an area which currently stands at some five square kilometres. It is littered with the relics of this decisive war. Bronze helmets, amphora, weapons and most importantly ancient bronze battle rams are being lifted from the seabed and preserved.

Battle ram [Credit: RPM Nautical Foundation]

Dr Henderson, from the Department of Archaeology, said: “It is quite surprising that despite all the literary references and the importance of naval battles and sea power in the ancient world we have never found a battle site before. What makes this project so exciting is that this was an important engagement between the Romans and the Carthaginians which ultimately provided the Romans with a springboard to go on and take over the whole of the Mediterranean.”

Hypothesis becomes theory

Historical documents placed the battle near the island of Levanzo, west of Sicily. According to the literature the battle was short — just a few hours long. The Romans lay in wait trapping the Carthaginians and blocking off their sea route in a sudden attack.

Dr Jon Henderson (right) with the ram [Credit: RPM Nautical Foundation]

Previous attempts to find the exact location had been focused in shallow water close to the island. But stories told by old Sicilian divers that lines of ancient lead anchors were lying on the seabed, off the Egadi Islands to the west of Trapani off Sicily’s northwest coast, guided Sebastiano Tusa, Professor of Pre-history and Soprintendenza del Mare, Sicily to the battle site.

Professor Tusa said: “The stories these divers told led me to speculate where this battle might have taken place. To prove my hypothesis I carried out a series of dives and discovered 50 anchors. Local fishermen brought up a bronze helmet from the same area and together with the discovery of the first ram my hypothesis became theory. Now, working with RPM Nautical Foundation we have discovered 11 rams.”

Making the pieces fit

The research vessel ‘Hercules’ bristles with some of the very latest underwater survey technology. An ongoing multi-beam survey together with remotely operated vehicle (ROV) verification is producing an accurate map of the undersea geography of the site as well as an astonishing array of shipwrecks, weapons, armour, helmets. But most exciting of all is the growing collection of ancient battle rams of which there were only three in the world before this survey began.